Mexican Indigenous Rights Activists Face New Threats to Their Security

Raul HernandezOnly a few days ago we were happy to share the wonderful news that Raúl Hernández, an indigenous rights leader and prisoner of conscience, had been released from prison after two years of struggle. Unfortunately, Hernández and other indigenous rights activists have been suffering serious threats and harrassment for more than a week.

The daughter of Inés Fernández, a fellow member of the Me’phaa Indigenous People’s Organization (Organización del Pueblo Indigena Me’phaa, OPIM), was threatened by two men on August 28th. The men threatened her family with death and mentioned Raúl Hernández, suggesting a connection between his release and their threats. Two days later, Álvaro Ramírez Concepcíon, coordinator of the Organization of the Future of the Mixteco Indigenous People (Organización para el Futuro del Pueblo Mixteco, OFPM), was shot and seriously wounded by a group of men while he worked on a plot of land near Juquila, in Ayutala municipality in Mexico. His wounds have required him to continue to stay in the hospital under medical supervision. The attackers have not been identified, nor brought to justice.  Other activists from both OPIM and OFPM have been threatened as well.

This intimidation for the purpose of quieting the calls for indigenous rights cannot stand! Learn more and take action on behalf of Hernández, Fernández, Concepcíon and the other activists of OPIM and OFPM. For more information on the history of the human rights abuses against Hernández and his colleagues, check out our previous blog posts.

Claire Lesikar, Campaign for Individuals at Risk, contributed to this post.