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Impunity

Defending rights in times of COVID 19: Virtual dialogues.

“We oppose development that reduces our forests, that destroys our lands” (…) With the pandemic we will have to live the rest of our lives. “

Jorge Sibas, leader of the Brörán people and Costa Rican defender.

Ten years accompanying the CSO Group, observing the progress and missteps of the Mexican Protection Mechanism

Advanced a decade ago by Mexican civil society and international bodies, the introduction of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Mecanismo de Protección para Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas) was a significant step forward for human rights in Mexico. However, the Mechanism continues to demonstrate notable deficiencies and concerning failures in the high-risk context faced by Mexican human rights defenders (HRDs).

The Rosendo Radilla Case: excavations in Atoyac de Álvarez

Enclaved between the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Costa Grande, in the state of Guerrero lies the Atoyac de Álvarez municipality, a place where wounds from the “Dirty War” of the 70s have still not healed.

Between 25 and 27 March, 2019, by request of Tita Radilla, PBI accompanied the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos, Desaparecidos y Víctimas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en México (AFADEM), as the sixth stage of excavations commenced in the search of numerous disappeared persons.

Turning the Tide on Impunity: Protection and Access to Justice for Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Mexico

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. 
This report 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.

Weighing up the new government

From PBI we observe certain important actions from AMLO´s new government that favour the protection of human rights defenders in Mexico, however at the same time we have noted a few tendencies that concern us.  In this article we look at a few achievements and challenges for the new government and the reactions from Mexican and international civil society about the first few weeks of the MORENA government.

Mexico in the IACHR

The past two sessions (167 and 168) of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) in 2018, saw a panorama of hearings about Mexico which offer a bleak overview of the human rights situation in the country.  These cases confirm the human rights crisis that the IACHR observed in their insitu visit to Mexico in 2015.  The impacts of public security policies and the prevalence of impunity in cases of human rights violations were also highlighted.  These violations not only represent obstacles for the development of peaceful societies, but also represent serious challenges f