Mexico

The Organization Familia Pasta de Conchos (OFPC) was created in 2006, following a disaster in Mine 8, in the Pasta de Conchos Unit, which was located in the San Juan Sabinas municipality, Coahuila, and managed by the Grupo México company. During the incident, 65 miners were trapped and subsequently died. As a result, their family members came together to demand the recovery of their bodies – to date only two bodies have been recovered. 

PBI has accompanied the organisation since 2014. 

PBI publishes testimonies of women defenders actively involved in promoting dialogue and creating spaces for peace within the violent context of Mexico.

Despite the existence of a governmental protection mechanism for HRDs and journalists, these populations continue to face high levels of risk in Mexico. Civil society has repeatedly called on the Mexican government to implement holistic protection policies which address the root causes that generate risk, and to improve resourcing and coordination of the mechanism. 

Following requests from civil society and an exploratory mission carried out to diverse regions in Mexico, PBI opened an office in the northern part of the country, and expanded it’s accompaniment to HRDs in the states of Coahuila and Chihuahua. 

Following the violent eviction of a sit-in by members of a teachers union from the centre of Oaxaca City, social conflict broke out in Oaxaca. Between 2006-2007, numerous human rights violations were documented by civil society organisations, including arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial execution and enforced disappearance.  

PBI participated in two civil observation missions to the state during the conflict, and in 2008 opened a permanent team in Oaxaca. 

In 2003, PBI began accompanying Tita Radilla, vice-president of the Mexican Association of Relatives of the Detained, Disappeared and Victims of Human Rights Violations (AFADEM), who’s father, Rosendo Radilla Pacheco, had been forcibly disappeared in Atoyac, Guerrero in 1974. Tita and other family members faced attacks and threats due to their work seeking justice for their loved ones.