On 13 February 2025, an armed group ambushed and shot a pick-up truck near the Sol River, Santo Domingo Petapa, Oaxaca. Inside the truck were Wilfrido Atanacio, Victoriano Quirino and Abraham Chirino, members of the Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo (UCIZONI) and inhabitants of the Ayuujk community El Platanillo, Santo Domingo Petapa. The three campesinos were killed in that attack. The communities of the region, the UCIZONI and other organisations have urged the government for immediate measures in response to the context of violence, without obtaining an answer. The community of El Platanillo continues to be under serious threat and requires protection measures.
These recent attacks add to a concerning and unacceptable context of attacks against the people and communities who defend human rights, their land and territory in the region. The attacks have already been reported by the Civilian Observation Mission that took place between 25 to 27 July 2023, during which twenty-three national and international civil society organisations, and eleven press representatives visited defenders of the territory. These people and communities are affected by the mega-project known as the Interoceanic Corridor of the North Zone in Mogoñé Viejo of Santa María Mixtequilla, of Santa Cruz Tagolaba and of Puente Madera, Oaxaca.
In the report1, the organisations stressed the fact that indigenous peoples, collectives and communities who defend their land, territory and indigenous peoples rights, and who oppose the mega-project in its entirety or have questioned specific matters concerning the Interoceanic Corridor, have reported continued attacks in the last three years as a reprisal for their legitimate work. Between May 2021 and May 2024, organisations have reported at least seventy-two attacks with 226 cases of aggression, including harassment, physical assaults, probable enforced disappearances, internal forced displacement, arbitrary detentions, criminalisation and killings. Among those committing these acts of aggression are the Mexican State, businesses or people with an interest in the construction of the mega-project.
Currently, there are three investigations filed with criminal complaints against twenty-four indigenous peoples, some of them members of the UCIZONI, who peacefully showed resistance to the imposition of the Interoceanic Corridor. The criminalisation and abuse of the punitive power of the Mexican State via the opening of investigation files has been alarming. In the above-mentioned period, fifty-five defenders of the territory in the region of the Isthmus have had investigation files opened against them, with some already facing charges. Despite attempts from the communities and organisations to engage in a dialogue with the State authorities, they have not received a response.
The undersigned national and international organisations express our deep concern over the systematic violence against the communities of the Isthmus, specifically against the human rights defenders that are part of the UCIZONI. The undersigned organisations also remind the Mexican State of its duty to ensure a reinforced protection for the communities, collectives and human rights defenders in order to prevent these attacks. The context of violence that prevails in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec violates the right of human rights defenders to be in a safe and enabling environment.
In view of the seriousness of the attacks, the national and international organisations that were part of the Civilian Observation Mission urgently call on the Federal, State and Municipal authorities to:
Immediately implement urgent protection measures to safeguard the integrity of the members of the UCIZONI, the community of El Platanillo and other communities at risk. It is indispensable to establish precautionary measures for the community of El Platanillo that remains under a high-risk situation.
Cease all forms of attack, criminalisation and aggression against indigenous peoples as well as human rights and nature defenders, and take necessary and effective actions to ensure a safe environment in the framework of article 9 of the Escazú Agreement.
Investigate, stop and punish the perpetrators and initiators of these assassinations and aggressions against people and communities who defend their land and territory.
Answer the call of the UCIZONI to engage in a dialogue with the Secretary of Governance and other competent authorities to address the criminalisation cases mentioned.
Signatories
Territorios Diversos para la Vida A.C. (TerraVida), Servicios para una Educación Alternativa A.C. EDUCA, Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos Todos los derechos para todas, todos y todes (Red TDT), Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo (UCIZONI), Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo, Grupo de Trabajo «Fronteras, regionalización y globalización» del Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO), Front Line Defenders, Tribunal Internacional de Conciencia de los Pueblos en Movimiento (TICPM), Seminario Permanente de Estudios Chicanos y de Fronteras, ARTICLE 19 – Oficina para México y Centroamérica, Brigada Humanitaria de Paz Marabunta, Brigada Humanitaria de Paz Marabunta Oaxaca, Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca, A.C., Proceso de Articulación de la Sierra Santa Marta, Centro de Derechos Humanos de los Pueblos del Sur de Veracruz Bety Cariño, Centro de Información sobre Empresas y Derechos Humanos, Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz A.C. (SERAPAZ), Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín, Pro Juárez, A.C., Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental A.C., Prevención, Capacitación y Defensa del Migrante, A.C. (PRECADEM), Grupo Núcleo de Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) en Mexico, Asamblea de los Pueblos Indígenas del Istmo en Defensa de la Tierra y el Territorio - APIIDTT, y Centro de Derechos Humanos - Espacios para la Defensa, el Florecimiento y Apoyo Comunitario (CDH-ESPADAC), Brigadas Internacionales de Paz México (PBI), Comisión de Coordinación y Seguimiento del Congreso Nacional Indígena/Concejo Indígena de Gobierno, y Espacio de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil para la Protección de Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas (Espacio OSC)2.
1Informe Misión civil de observación en el marco de las agresiones a pueblos indígenas, personas y comunidades defensoras de la tierra y el territorio frente al Corredor Interoceánico del Istmo de Tehuantepec (Junio 2024) available in: https://www.terravidamx.org/informe-misión-observación-istmo
2Organisations part of the Espacio OSC: ARTICLE 19; Casa del Migrante Saltillo; Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan; Centro de Derechos Humanos Zeferino Ladrillero (CDHZL); Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA); Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (Cencos); Comunicación e Información de la Mujer A.C. (CIMAC); Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentarios y la Equidad Oaxaca (Consorcio Oaxaca); Instituto de Derecho Ambiental (IDEA), Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y todes (RedTDT); SMR: Scalabrinianas, Misión con Migrantes y Refugiados; Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz (Serapaz), Proyecto de Derechos Económicos Sociales y Culturales A.c. (PRODESC). The Espacio OSC is also accompanied by Peace Brigades International – Proyecto México.
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