On October 11, the Peace Brigades International -Mexico Project posted: “In Puebla, PBI accompanies Miguel López Vega, his defense and members of the Pueblos Unidos [United Peoples] and the Frente De Pueblos [Peoples’ Front] Morelos Puebla Tlaxcala in an audience that unfortunately did not take place.”

It adds: “We call for respect for the right to due process and for an end to criminalization against the people defending the territory and water.”

Last month, PBI-Mexico also posted: “On [September 10] in Puebla we accompanied Miguel López Vega, his defence and members of Pueblos Unidos. We are concerned about the risk that Miguel and other members of the @fpdtampt [Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water] face for their legitimate work in defense of the territory and water.”

Angulo 7 has explained: López Vega, defender of the Metlapanapa River, was arrested after opposing the installation of the storm and sanitary sewer system in the Ciudad Textil Industrial Park, a project that could contaminate the tributary.”

And La Journal de Oriente further reports: “López Vega participated on the eve of his arrest, on January 24, 2020, in resistance actions together with residents of Zacatepec, belonging to the municipality of Juan C. Bonilla, to prevent the progress of the Wastewater Discharge Project of the Textile City from Huejotzingo on the Metlapanapa River. The project would include the installation of Audi and Volkswagen suppliers in that area.”

Prior to his hearing last month, López Vega stated: “Every day there are more polluted rivers, more waste of water from businessmen, but we do not know one, a predator, an environmental polluter who is in jail; but yes to environmentalists who defend water, land, life, who suffer unfair judicial processes and fierce judicial persecution. It is a danger to be a defender in this country. Some take their lives, others their freedom.”

Following the court appearance, La Journal de Oriente reported: “The Criminal Orality Court of the House of Justice of Tlaxcalancingo determined that it will review the suspension of the process against the environmentalist and defender of the Metlapanapa River.”

That article adds: “The judge summoned a second review of the evidence presented by López Vega’s legal defense, in order to determine the suspension of the case [on October 11].”

As noted by PBI-Mexico above, this scheduled hearing did not take place.

PBI-Mexico began accompanying the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water (@fpdtampt) in early 2020.

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