Video still of armoured vehicle in Ejido El Bajío from Ceiba Periodismo.
The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project has posted on social media: “PBI Mexico acts as an international accompanier to Ejido El Bajío. We support their legitimate efforts to defend their territory and the struggle they have waged for over a decade.”
PBI-Mexico shares the Ceiba Periodismo post on social media that says: “On September 14, 2026, the Mexican army entered the El Bajío ejido in the state of Sonora without the proper authorization. Watch this reel to find out about the incident.”
That reel explains:
“Communal land owners from the El Bajío ejido [area of communal land used for agriculture and rural living] in Sonora are denouncing illegal intrusion by the Army.
On September 14, personnel and soldiers from the 45th Military Zone entered the ejido without an order from a competent authority.
For over a decade, the ejido has been defending its lands against the Penmont mining company (owned by Fresnillo PLC).
According to the complaint filed by the ejido leadership, there were instances of extortion, arbitrary detentions, and home invasions.
A young man from the ejido was beaten in an attempt to force a confession that he was a criminal.
Cameras, cell phones, and hard drives were stolen, and surveillance camps within the Protected Natural Area were destroyed.
They state that this is not the first time the Army has killed livestock and stolen belongings in the ejido.
They are demanding that the President of the Republic put a stop to the Army’s abuses against the communities.”
Human rights violations by the Mexican military
Human Rights Watch has noted: “The military, informally deployed for civilian law enforcement since 2006, has committed widespread human rights violations—including executions, enforced disappearances, and torture—while failing to address skyrocketing levels of violent crime.”
And Amnesty International has previously stated: “There is ample evidence that the deployment of military forces has coincided with an increase in human rights violations and in levels of violence across Mexico. A 2016 government survey found that the armed forces are more likely to abuse detainees than Mexico’s federal, state or municipal police, with 88 percent of people detained by the Navy and 86 percent of those arrested by the Army complaining of torture or other ill-treatment.”
In July 2023, PBI-Mexico participated in an international observation mission that documented abuses against Indigenous territorial defenders opposed to the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus.
The Mission reported: “Among the authorities responsible for the human rights violations identified during the mission are the National Guard, the Navy, the Sedena [the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense], the State Police…”
Educa Oaxaca, that was also part of the Observation Mission, specifies: “From May 1, 2021, to May 1, 2024, a total of 72 attacks were recorded, in which at least 226 various attacks were perpetrated against defenders.”
Accompaniment
Peace Brigades International has provided security and advocacy support to members of the Ejido El Bajío due to the ongoing threats they face.
The Peace Brigades International team in the United Kingdom highlight in their report The Case for Change: Why human rights defenders need a UK law on mandatory due diligence (November 2024): “Minera Penmont operated the Soledad-Dipolos open-pit gold mine located in the territory of the El Bajío Ejido in Mexico, between 2010 and 2013. When mining exploration began on communal lands, local communities began to defend their rights. Agrarian Courts have ruled that Penmont were operating on the land illegally without the community’s permission, ordering Penmont to leave the land and compensate the residents. However, land and environmental defenders calling for accountability have faced a series of reprisals including arbitrary detention, criminalisation, and killings. Minera Penmont is a subsidiary of Fresnillo PLC, a UK-incorporated company listed on the London Stock Exchange.”
Exports to the Mexican military
Over the five-year period of 2018 to 2022, Canada exported at least $19.86 million in military goods to Colombia and Mexico. Government of Canada figures indicate that an additional $7.6 million in military goods were exported from Canada to Mexico in the three-year period of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The Mexican military is also among the international delegations that attend the annual CANSEC arms show in Ottawa.
The Mexican army armoured vehicle in the Ceiba Periodismo video is not identified, but in March 2026, Defence Blog reported: “Mexico has selected the Canadian-made Roshel Senator MRAP armored vehicle following successful trials conducted by its armed forces and national guard at the end of last year.”
Overall, Amnesty International has documented: “[In 2024] Canada continued to export arms and military equipment to countries despite lack of accountability for past violations and substantial risks that they could be used in serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.”
PBI-Canada continues to monitor and research the intersection between the export of “military goods” and human rights violations.
Additional reading
PBI-Mexico accompanied Ejido El Bajío stands in solidarity with Ejido Carrizalillo in struggle against Canadian mining company (PBI-Canada, April 20, 2025)
While the PBI-Mexico accompanied Ejido del Baijo seeks justice, Fresnillo plans to expand into Canada in 2026 (PBI-Canada, December 2, 2025).
