PBI-Mexico has posted: “From PBI we express our concern about the arbitrary detention of the environmental defender María de la Cruz, Councillor of the Ocumicho Communal Council and delegate of the CNI [National Indigenous Congress]. We call on the competent authorities to guarantee their comprehensive protection.”
This follows the Human Rights Solidarity Network (Red Solidaria de Derechos Humanos/RSDH) posting: “María de la Cruz was arbitrarily detained while she was fulfilling her duties as Councillor for Ecology and Environment of the autonomous community of Ocumicho. The State has the responsibility of guaranteeing their rights as a traditional authority and defender of human rights.”
On June 6, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán explained on Facebook: “We denounce the harassment that the state systematically does against those who are activists particularly against our colleague Maria Cruz Paz Zamora, who is currently part of the Municipal Government Council of the Autonomous Community of Ocumicho, as an ecology and environment advisor and is a delegate of the Indigenous National Congress and the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán.”
Their post adds: “Our companion arbitrarily detained today, June 5, at 8:00 am on the federal road Morelia – Zamora, at the height of the community of Carapan by subjects of the Michoacan ministerial police and transferred to the Uruapan prison center, according to the report. No explanation was preceded by this act on the reasons for his deprivation of liberty.”
In a solidarity statement, the Autonomous Council of the Chiapas Coast, the Center for Human Rights Digna Ochoa and the Network of Women of the Costa in Rebellion have also posted: “In view of the events that took place [on June 5], including the arrest of the compañera and acts of systematic harassment of communities and indigenous peoples who defend the forest and their territories against illegal logging, we strongly oppose these acts of violence and criminalization, which are threatening the lives of indigenous peoples.”
And the National Indigenous Council/Indigenous Governing Council (CNI-CIG) has posted: “In recent years, comrade María Cruz Paz Zamora, as Ocumicho’s councillor for ecology and the environment, has promoted massive reforestation in her community, has created brigades to fight forest fires, has defended forests from loggers and organized crime, and has fought against avocado monocultures. Her constant struggle has been for life.”
The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project accompanies the Human Rights Solidarity Network (Red Solidaria de Derechos Humanos).
We continue to follow this.
Further reading: Detienen a María Cruz Paz Zamora defensora ambiental de Ocumicho(en15dias).
Published by Brent Patterson on