Article by PBI-Mexico

On 26th November 2019 Tita Radilla travelled to the Mexican capital to attend an event commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ sentence in the “Radilla Pacheco v Mexico” case. On the 23 November 2009 the Mexican state was condemned for grave human rights violations in which the military was signalled as responsible for the forced dissapearance of Rosendo Radilla, Tita’s father.

“They were heaven sent. They always seemed to be there at the right time.” - Tita Dadilla, Mexican human rights defender, on PBI volunteers

In celebration of International Human Rights Day, we are proud to announce the release of ‘The Defenders’, a short film by Manu Valcarce exploring the experience of being a human rights defender in countries where the rule of law is fragile.

This December, and continuously, PBI puts human rights defenders at the center, in the position they deserve given the fundamental role they play in the protection of human rights and the construction of fair and peaceful societies.

Human rights defenders continue to provide voices for the voiceless, pushing for social justice. They often risk their lives to stand up for what they believe in, holding states to account and pushing for human rights to be respected, protected and fulfilled.

On November 27, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project posted, “PBI accompanied the activities of the Codigo DH Gobixha AC office in Amuzgos within the framework of the conference against violence against women.”

PBI-Mexico notes that this involved visiting the community of Santa María Ipalapa (about 12 kilometres from San Pedro Amuzgos) on November 26.

In the first four months of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s term, which began on December 1, 2018, at least seventeen human rights defenders and journalists were murdered, an increase over last year’s rate. If killings continue at this rate, fifty-two defenders and journalists will be dead by the end of 2019.

April 11, 2019

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office after campaigning on a platform focused heavily on combating corruption and insecurity and bringing peace and reconciliation to the Mexican people.

A new report from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA and PBI) focuses on how the new government can approach an important aspect of this endeavor: creating a safer and more enabling environment for journalists and human rights defenders to carry out their important work.

February 20, 2019

On February 12th, between 07:00 and 07:40 am, human rights defender Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and her companion Hilario Cornelio Castro disappeared. They were last seen in the town of Tierra Colorada in Guerrero, Mexico. Obtilia works for the Organization of Me Phaa Indigenous People and in years past has received accompaniment from PBI. She is a beneficiary of provisional measures granted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, but the measures were not being adequately implemented.

February 7, 2019