Empower environmental defenders in Mexico

Last March, an event of great relevance occurred. After a lengthy legal process, the Masewal people won a lawsuit against mining concessions that were threatening their territory located in the northern highlands of the state of Puebla. This constitutes a step forward in the recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights in Mexico.

The judge's decision recognizes that, by issuing the mining concessions without having guaranteed the rights to prior consultation and free and informed consent, the Mexican government affected the Masewal people’s territory and natural heritage. Therefore, he ordered the annulment of such concessions.

This process began in the spring of 2015. When faced with the threat of mining activity on their territory, the communities of the Masewal people, alongside the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), decided to file a lawsuit. The arguments pointed out that the current federal Mining Law violated the indigenous people’s fundamental rights to territory, access to traditionally managed natural resources, as well as their right to water.

For the Masewal people, the land is sacred space because of the Talokan, which can be defined as the place where the lords of life dwell and where seeds, plants, animals, water, and fire are protected. There is also the Tlaltipak, which encompasses everything that lives on the ground.

Historically, Indigenous people in Mexico have been unjustly stripped of their land and natural heritage to the benefit of massive megaprojects. This legal victory sets an important legal base in the defense of the indigenous peoples’ rights in Mexico.

Links:

• Masewal people win over mining press release

The first months of 2021 saw news of environment defenders murdered in Mexico, raising alarms on a growing tendency of violence exercised against individuals and communities.

Last March 2022, CEMDA presented its ninth Report on the Situation of Defenders of Environment, Land, and Territory, Individuals and Communities, in Mexico, in the face of violence perpetrated against them by reason of their work.

In 2021 there was a 160% increase in the number of aggressions of different kind over the year 2020. Lethal aggressions also increased from 18 defenders reported murdered in 2020 to 25 in 2021.  The most common aggressions were intimidation, harassment, threats, and lethal aggressions, in that order.

The sectors associated with the highest numbers of events of aggression were mining, water, and electricity, whereas the majority of lethal attacks are related to the electricity sector. Regarding responsibility for aggressions, in approximately 4 of every 10 aggressions, the government is named as responsible, whether at the municipal, state, or federal level, and acting jointly with other actors such as private companies or organized crime.

The alarming situation described in this report has a multifactorial origin. Factors include a model of development which gives extractive activities precedence over the ways of life of individuals, peoples, and communities, but also issues related to the exercise of structural violence, environmental racism, and historic discrimination toward indigenous communities.

Thank you for helping us to keep monitoring and reporting the violence against environmental defenders. It is urgent that the Mexican authorities immediately cease stigmatization towards them and provide security conditions so that they can continue protecting the environment on which we all depend to live.

Links:

• 2021 Report on Aggressions against Environmental Defenders
• Environmental and social impacts of the Mayan Train