After publishing an alert for human rights defenders in the State of Guerrero, the “All Rights for All” Network organized the first Civil Observation Mission in Chilapa and Chilpancingo, Guerrero where the “José Ma. Morelos y Pavón” Regional Center for the Defense of Human Rights and the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center carry out their work.
On 13 September the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center, an organization that is accompanied by PBI, provided information in a press release about the release of Mr. J. Valdez, one of the people that they accompanied in legal proceedings.
30 August marked the International Day of Victims of Forced Disappearance. According to oficial statistics, there are about thirty thousand disappeared people in Mexico, and this number could be much greater according to civil society organizations due to the lack of an adequate registry.
On 29 August, the Cerezo Committee Mexico, Urgent Action for the Defense of Human Rights, (ACUDDEH, AC), and the National Campaign against Forced Disappearance presented their 6th Report. The report documents 1442 violations committed against human rights defenders between June 2016 and May 2017, which means that according to these organizations, there were 50% more aggressions in this period than in the previous period (2015-2016 Report ).
On 11 August in Chihuahua City, a discussion took place about the “exercise of the right to Tribunal Consultation.” The event was organized by the Sierra Madre Alliance A.C. (ASMAC), with the participation of the Community Technical Consultation (CONTEC) and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA).
On 27 July the Focal Group on Businesses and Human Rights made a statement and held a press conference to announce that they were stepping away from the process of creating the National Program for Businesses and Human Rights (PNEDH) because the proposal from the Mexican government did not meet the international standards established by the United Nations Guiding Principles.
On July 26th the Space for Civil Society Organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Espacio_OSC), which is accompanied by PBI, published their third report. The event was attended by members of Mexican Civil society, international organizations, members of the Diplomatic Corp, the media, the academic community and government authorities.
In a press conference, the Network for Documentation of Migrant Defense Organizations (REDODEM) presented the Report, “Migrants in Mexico: traveling on a path of violence.” In this report, the more than 20 organizations that make up the Network – including the Juan Gerardi Human Rights Center and the Brothers on the Path Migrant Shelter — both accompanied by PBI – highlighted the problem of “human mobility due to violence” and demanded respect for the rights of the migrant population in transit and to put an end to the criminalization of people who defend and promote these rights.
In the context of the Global Day of Action Against Open-Pit Mining and the State Day of Rebellion Against Mining, civil society organizations commemorated their fight for their land and territory. Inhabitants of the communities of the Ejutla Valley and Ocotlán, Oaxaca, demanded that state and federal governments put a stop to the exploration and expansion on their land by the Canadian company Fortuna Silver Mines – this will be due to a lack of consultation with them and the risk faced by land and territory in the state of Oaxaca.
In the last few months the José María Morelos y Pavón Human Rights Center – an organization accompanied by PBI – has noted on several occasions the persistent problem of forced displacement in Guerrero, especially in the communities of Chilapa de Álvarez and Zitlala.