Mexico: 28 Environmental, Indigenous Leaders Killed Since 2020

The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) denounced that 28 environmental defenders and indigenous leaders have been murdered in this Latin American country since 2020.

RELATED:

Mexican Human Rights Defender Is Shot Dead in Chiapas

"We are facing an alarming situation. In Mexico, there is a structural and generalized violence against those who defend the natural heritage, land and territory," said Gabriela Carreon, the CEMDA human rights officer.

Her environmental organization also counted 90 aggressions against social activists perpetrated in 65 different attacks.

The latest cases of selective assassination occurred last week when environmental defender David Diaz in Manzanillo City and Indigenous rights defender Simon Perez in Simojovel Municipality were gunned down.

So far this year, Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) also documented 14 murders of indigenous leaders in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacan, and Sonora.

"We point out the inaction of the Mexican State at its different levels of government. Besides having the obligation to investigate the killings, authorities must provide justice, truth, and measures of non-repetition for the survivors, and their families and communities," IPRI said.

On Monday, the Interior Minister confirmed that 68 human rights defenders and 43 journalists have been killed since Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office on December 1, 2018.