On November 26, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project posted on social media:
“Today we accompanied the Morelos Puebla Tlaxcala Peoples’ Front (FPDTA) during their press conference in front of the Puebla State Human Rights Commission (CDH), where they denounced the criminalization faced by communities and water defenders in the state.
Later, they filed a formal complaint with the CDH regarding the risks they face due to their legitimate work defending their territory and human rights.
PBI Mexico continues to support human rights defenders in their work protecting water and their communities.”
La Jornada de Oriente further reports: “[Water defender Pascual Bermúdez Chantes] filed complaints with the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and the Human Rights Commission (CDH) for an alleged attack against him and for the actions of municipal authorities in the conflict over the well known as Pavigi.”
“He said that on October 29, when he was inside Pavigi Park, an armed man came out of the bathroom area and fired three shots at him, without injuring him. He added that, after the shooting, the alleged aggressor tried to flee under the custody of municipal police who maintain surveillance on the premises, which, in his opinion, reinforces the suspicion of collusion by local authorities.”
The article also notes: “Yesenia Popoca, a member of the Committee in Defense of Water in the municipality of Nealtican, filed another complaint with the CDH for harassment by municipal police against her and other participants in the movement … who oppose the extraction of water in the region.”
Urbano Pueblo adds: “Yesenia Popoca, lawyer of the Water Defense Committee in Nealtican, said that about a month ago she was the victim of mockery and verbal aggression by the mayor Imelda Gil Osorio and her councillors, who allegedly questioned her professional capacity and made sexist comments to her. This is because in a meeting she asked them to reverse the water concession given to private companies for the supply of the vital liquid of the region. She added that she has already filed the corresponding complaint with the CDH Puebla, but more than two weeks have passed without receiving a response in this regard.”
Municipios also notes: “At the demonstration on Wednesday, November 26, water defenders from the municipalities of Xoxtla and Nealtican attended. During the meeting, outside the State Human Rights Commission of Puebla, they denounce that there are violations of universal guarantees by their respective municipalities and the Operator System of Drinking Water and Sewerage Services of Puebla (SOAPAP).”
And El Sol de Puebla further reports: “Activists in favor of the defense of water in San Miguel Xoxtla, together with residents of the municipality, filed a collective complaint with the State Human Rights Commission (CDH) for the actions of the mayor, Guadalupe Ortiz Pérez, regarding the problem of the use of the vital liquid.”
The Urbano Puebla article also highlights: “Juan Carlos Solis, lawyer for the Xoxtla water defenders, said that Soapap and authorities of different kinds have activated a criminalization campaign against them. He added that Agua de Puebla and the capital’s City Council are extracting more than 10 million cubic meters of water from the wells of that municipality and reported that this Wednesday they will also file a complaint with the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the investigation of crimes against human rights defenders and journalists.”
Peace Brigades International has accompanied the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water – Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala since early 2020.
We continue to follow this.
Additional reading: PBI-Mexico accompanies the Peoples’ Front as community assembly creates drinking water committee in Xoxtla, Puebla (PBI-Canada article, November 25, 2025).
