A group of political counsellors from European Union (EU) members states' (MS) embassies in Mexico along with the EU Delegation undertook a working visit to Chilpancingo, Guerrero, on 1 August together with Tlachinollan Human Rights Center of La Montaña and Peace Brigades International (PBI).

The visit is in line with the Local action plan to implement the European Union's Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders agreed upon by the Council of the EU. The action Plan consists of the creation of five working groups of MS embassies which will follow-up individual cases on a geographic basis under the coordination of the EU Delegation in Mexico

The political counsellor of the EU Delegation, Arturo Rodríguez Tonelli, and the representatives of the embassies which form the Guerrero working group (Germany, Austria, Finland and United Kingdom) met local human rights defenders to discuss their situation as well as the general human rights situation locally.

The EU representatives heard requests and concerns from NGO representatives including Matilde Perez from Monitor Civil de la Policía (Mocipol), Tita Radilla from the Association of Relatives of the Detained, Disappeared, and Victims of Human Rights Abuses in Mexico (AFADEM), Celsa Valdovinos from the Organization of Women Ecologists of the Sierra de Petatlán (OMESP), environmentalist Silvestre Pacheco, David Valtierra from Radio Ñomndaa, Olivia Cortés from the Collective Against Torture and Impunity (CCTI), Silvia Castillo from La Madeja, Javier Monroy from Community Development Workshop (Tadeco), Manuel Olivares from Guerrero Network for Civil Society Human Rights Organisations (RedGroac), members of The “Jose María Morelos y Pavón” Regional Human Rights Centre, Xóchitl Ramírez from Yotlakat non siwatl (ATZIN Mexico) and José Lavoisire from Center for Studies and Projects for Integral Human Development (Ceprodehi).

The organizations highlighted the risks faced by human rights defenders and called attention to issues such as criminalisation of civil society, acces to justice and due process of law, as well as impunity. They also emphasized that women, indigenous people and homosexuals are the most vulnerable persons when it comes to abuses or violations of human rights. In regard to specific requests, the NGO representatives consider it important that public institutions perform their functions effectively, with emphasis on a mechanism to protect the defenders and harassment, threats and attacks. In this sense, they noted the importance of maintaining dialogue with international organisms and to reinforce the links with the embassies. Furthermore, the EU representatives imparted information concerning their activities and resources for the protection of human rights defenders.

Counsellors met also the new administration of Guerrero as the Secretary of the Interior, the State Attorney General to know their priorities and relate human rights requests and concerns of civil society. The agenda also included meetings with the President of the State Commision on Human Rights and the Secretary of Indigenous Affairs.

PBI accompaine human rights defenders from Guerrero since 2001, including members of Mocipol and Tlachinollan, Tita Radilla from AFADEM and Celsa Valdovivos from OMESP.