PBI helps to amplify the voices of Indigenous Purépecha and Meyah land defenders during visit to the UK
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Claudia Ignacio Álvarez, a Purépecha woman who works for the Human Rights Solidarity Network in Mexico, and Lia Yewen, a Meyah woman with PUSAKA, an organization that defends the rights of West Papua’s indigenous peoples, were invited by Peace Brigades International to speak in the United Kingdom.
Claudia Ignacio Álvarez
Ignacio Álvarez tells AFP: “The objective of the trip is to be able to make visible the serious human rights situation in Michoacán, the attacks against human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, for defending our land and territory, for defending the environment. …In addition to local political interests, there are a number of transnational interests focused on the companies that are exporting their products. In Michoacán, a lot of food is produced that is eaten in the world.”
She also told a public forum in London: “It’s time to look after those who look after us, including the Indigenous people & human rights defenders working to protect society and the planet. It’s time to reaffirm our commitment to them.”
The AFP article further reports that Ignacio Álvarez is the aunt of Roxana Valentín Cárdenas. Last month, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán stated: “On the 46th anniversary of the defense of communal lands, at 12:10 p.m., an armed commando attacked the peaceful demonstration of the community, where C. Roxana Valentín Cárdenas, 24 years old, originally from the sister community of San Andrés Tziróndaro, was killed… Due to the seriousness of the aggression, the insecurity and impunity that prevail, the community, by decision of its highest authority, which is the General Assembly, has agreed to take over the Morelia-Zacapu highway indefinitely at the height of Santa Fe de la Laguna and the suspension of all its school activities.”
Lia Yewen
Yewen tells AFP: “As a West Papuan, when you understand your story, you can realise that you need to do something to save our land and our people. I believe that environmental devastation is linked to the violation of human rights. When you destroy our land, it affects our rights. To save people, you must save the forest. We can’t live without it. Maybe the most important thing for people in cities is money. For us it is our forest. We have everything there, not only food, but also our values, our sacred side, our history. When you destroy it, it impacts our lives.”
She has also commented: “This project aims to plant sugar cane plantations for sugarcane production and then also create new rice fields in Merauke, West Papua. And then they’re taking over 2 million hectares of forest and land. So just imagine 2 million hectares of forest and land. It is very big, and it’s more than 10 times the size of the city of London [at about 157,000 hectares].”
For comparison, Toronto covers 64,000 hectares and urban Ottawa 54,949 hectares. Metro Vancouver covers approximately 280,120 hectares.
The petition – Land Grabbing and Deforestation Is the Biggest Deforestation, President Prabowo Stops PSN Merauke! – can be found here.
The full AFP article can be read at From Mexico to West Papua, the struggle of indigenous peoples to defend their rights (AFP, December 9, 2025).
