Chihuahua, 01 October 2013. PBI Mexico opened its new team in the north of the country today. The team covers the states of Chihuahua and Coahuila. With its headquarters in Chihuahua City, the team of international observers will walk alongside those who defend human rights and will speak with local, national and international authorities with the objective to open safe spaces for the participation of local activists.

In the opening ceremony, Rubens Carvalho, PBI Mexico Communications Coordinator, explained the decision to open a team as the result of an exploratory mission that was conducted in various states of the Republic. The PBI exploratory mission took place in 2012 in response to an increase in requests for international accompaniment from civil society.

PBI Mexico identified Chihuahua and Coahuila as high-risk states for the defense of human rights. This conclusion is supported by the recent report from the United Nations Mexico Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which places Chihuahua and Coahuila as the five most dangerous states to defend human rights in Mexico.

Defenders of these two states suffer attacks, threats, harassment, surveillance, beatings and criminalization because of their work. Due to the high level of risk, various members of the organizations are beneficiaries of precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. In Chihuahua, Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa, CEDEHM (since 2008) and El Barzón (2012) receive such measures, while in Coahuila, the Saltillo Migrant House (2010) and Frontera Digna (2012) are also beneficiaries.

According to research done by PBI collected in A Panorama of the defense of Human Rights Mexico, the issues of concern in the north are a reflection of the problems that exist throughout the country. Issues such as abuses committed by security forces, femicides, disappearances, over-exploitation of natural resources and violations against the migrant population.

In the event, Ben Leather, PBI Mexico Advocacy and Public Relations Coordinator, called on state and federal authorities to coordinate in order to ensure the protection and participation of human rights defenders in Chihuahua and Coahuila, and in particular:

• To counter any questioning of the work of human rights defenders in these states with statements recognizing their legitimacy and importance.

• To investigate crimes committed against activists, punishing the culprits in order to prevent reoffending.

• To guarantee the implementation of effective protection measures for any activist at risk, strengthening the implementation of the National Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.

• To consult civil society on the development of any public policy that may have implications in the area of human rights.

Alberto Xicoténcatl (Director of the Saltillo Migrant House), Luz Estela Castro (Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Women, Cedehm, Chihuahua), Antonio Esparza (Director of the Juan Gerardi Human Rights Center, Torreón) and Padre Óscar Enriquez Pérez (Director of the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center, Ciudad Juárez) spoke as representatives of social organizations of the region. In addition to explaining the human rights violations that occur in these states, the activists demanded an end to the impunity and an effort from the authorities to protect human rights defenders in the north of the country.

Many local and national civil society organizations, as well as diplomatic and government representatives attended the event; including the head of the Unit for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights of the Interior Ministry Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, the Ambassadors of Canada and the Netherlands, the Consul General of the United States, the Political Advisor of the European Union (EU) Mexico Delegation, the Mexican Representative of the OHCHR and representatives of the national ombudsman.

Before the event PBI facilitated a roundtable with representatives from the embassies of Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the EU, as well as ten civil society organizations including the Fray Juan de Larios Diocese Center for Human Rights, the Solidarity and Human Rights Defense Commission, El Barzón, the Roundtable Network of Women and Justice for Our Daughters. The event took place at the headquarters of Cedehm and was witnessed by Javier Hernández Valencia, the OHCHR Mexico Representative.

The Paso del Norte Human Rights Center is the first organization accompanied by PBI in the north of Mexico. PBI's objectives in the north of the country are to open working spaces for human rights defenders in Chihuahua and Coahuila, to give national and international visibility to their work and risk situation, to create and strengthen local, national and international support networks for human rights defenders, and to share good practices and tools that can empower defenders, for example regarding security and political advocacy.

For more information on the defense of human rights in the north of Mexico, please consult our new website on Chihuahua and Coahuila and our new briefing.

Press release about the opening event of the new Northern Team of PBI Mexico.