PBI-Mexico accompanies Indigenous water defender Alejandro Torres Chocolatl during Embassy of Finland visit to Puebla
PBI-Mexico has posted:
“This week we accompanied Alejandro Torres from the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water-Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala with the Embassy of Finland in Mexico in the State of Puebla as part of the accompaniment provided by the #Protect Their Voices Initiative. We thank and acknowledge the Embassy of Finland for this important support.”
They then noted:
“During the visit, Alejandro was able to share his experiences in defending the land, territory, water and rights of indigenous communities in Puebla. Recognition of the work of #HumanRights defenders is essential for their protection.”
Front Line Defenders has explained:
“Alejandro Torres Chocolatl is a human rights defender who is a community broadcaster of Radio Zacatepec and member of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) as well as of the Frente Pueblos Unidos de la Región Cholulteca and of the People’s Front in Defence of Land and Water of Puebla, Morelos and Tlaxcala (FPDTA-PMT). FPDTA-PMT works together with Nahua communities in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala to protect the rights of the 22 communities affected by several mega-development projects in the area. He has worked to protect the Metlapanapa River which is at risk of being contaminated by discharge of wastewater from the Huejotzingo Textile City industrial park. He also advocates for the right of indigenous communities to self-determination.”
They have also noted: “On 2 June 2023, alleged members of the Ministerial Police of the State of Puebla went to the town of Santa María Zacatepec, dressed in civilian clothing and in unmarked cars, asking for the location and address of the human rights defender Alejandro Torres Chocolatl. They also went looking for him at his place of work, the Radio Comunitaria Zacatepec.”
On June 30, 2023, Animal Politico reported: “After being arrested by alleged ministerial police, defender and communicator Alejandro Torres Chocolatl was released in the municipality of Juan C. Bonilla, in Puebla, who accused him of being a victim of persecution.”
PBI-Mexico has accompanied the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water in Puebla since early 2020. In August 2022, PBI-Mexico extended its accompaniment for another three years.
Further reading: PBI-Mexico accompanied Indigenous Nahua water protector Alejandro Torres Chocolatl arbitrarily detained by state agents (July 1, 2023)
Video by Embassy of Finland.
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