Relatives see Mexico mining firm’s role in ‘disappearance’ of activists

The family of two lacking Mexican environmentalists, whose bullet-riddled car was discovered deserted, have lashed out at a transnational mining firm, alleging the metal firm Ternium has position within the males’s disappearance.

Ricardo Lagunes, a lawyer, and Antonio Diaz, an Indigenous chief, have been final seen attending an anti-mining gathering on Sunday within the city of San Miguel Aquila — a harmful space managed by rival drug cartels within the southern Michoacan state, residence to a contentious iron ore mine.

Despite an pressing attraction by UN to seek out them, the activists stay unaccounted for.  

Ternium is “one of the most powerful actors in the region,” mentioned Lucia Lagunes Gasca, sister of Lagunes, calling for honest investigation into the corporate’s position within the alleged abductions.

She alleged the mining firm’s operations haven’t solely harmed the setting however the neighborhood’s “social fabric, generating conflicts and violence.”

“We imagine that the corporate could possibly be concerned, and that is why we’re asking for the corporate to come back clear,” said Maraa de Jesus Lagunes, aunt of the missing lawyer.

Ternium strongly denied the allegations and expressed “solidarity” with the affected households.

In a assertion carried by native news outlet SinEmbargo, Ternium mentioned it stands “towards any kind of violence and categorically rejects any hypothesis and/or defamation that tries to affiliate it with any kind of criminality.”

Ternium  said its mining operation in the municipality of Aquila “has all of the legitimate permits from the corresponding authorities and in response to agreements reached with the neighborhood of San Miguel de Aquila for greater than ten years.”

Lagunes reportedly performed a key position in offering authorized illustration to the neighborhood of Aquila amid the negotiations in regards to the operation of the Aquila mine in relation to its environmental, social and well being results on the neighborhood.

‘Backdrop of stress’

SinEmbargo
reported Sunday’s assembly had centred on the authorized battle referring to mining royalties signed with Ternium, with the monetary challenge frightening robust divisions among the many neighborhood.

Witnesses alleged that each males have been threatened and adopted after the gathering. Their automotive was later discovered deserted with bullet-marks within the neighbouring state of Colima.

Locals have since held roadblocks in each Michoacan and Colima  states whereas authorities have deployed troopers and an airplane to comb the world.

Front Line Defenders, a rights group, alleged the disappearances came about amid “a backdrop of tension due to the upcoming local elections and in the context of negotiations between members of the community and a local mining company.”

“The presence of the mining activity in Aquila has been a source of conflict since it began operating in 1998 due to the non-compliance with agreements between the mining company and the community, which has resulted in threats against, detention, and deaths of members of the community,” it mentioned.

“It’s unacceptable that those who defend our rights have to do so at the cost of their freedom, their integrity or their lives,” the UN mentioned, demanding Mexican authorities discover the activists with out losing extra time. 

Mexico is taken into account one of many world’s most harmful nations for human rights defenders, significantly these concerned in disputes over land and mining.

In 2021, 54 environmental activists have been killed within the Latin American nation, essentially the most on the planet, and impunity “remains rife,” in response to the London-based watchdog Global Witness.

READ MORE: 2022 marked as deadliest 12 months on report for Mexican journalists

Source: TRT World