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January 31, 2023

Missing Mexican Environmentalists' Families Accuse Mining Company of Complicity
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In Mexico, relatives of two land defenders who've been missing since
January 15 are demanding authorities investigate their abductions and
bring them back alive. Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca, a human rights
lawyer and environmentalist, and Antonio Díaz Valencia, an Aquila
Indigenous leader, were last seen two weeks ago after leaving a
community meeting in the state of Michoacán against mining in the
region. Witnesses said the environmentalists were followed and
threatened by a group of men; their vehicle was later found abandoned
with several bullet holes. Their family members have accused
transnational mining company Ternium of complicity in the kidnappings.
The steel manufacturer has faced mounting opposition from community
members who say Ternium's mining operations have destroyed the
environment, triggered health issues and brought violence to the region.


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