URGENT ACTION

THREATS AGAINST COMMUNITY WORKER IN MEXICO

Adolfo Guzmán Ordaz, a community Indigenous rights activist in Chiapas state, southern Mexico, has received death threats after he filed a complaint against police. He has reported the threats to the authorities, but so far the authorities have made inadequate efforts to protect him.

Adolfo Guzmánworks for Enlace Comunicación y Capacitación (Communication and Training Link), a community organization providing human rights and sustainable economic development training for Indigenous communities.

On 6 January, as Adolfo Guzmán, his wife and two children,returned home in the early evening, they found a note at the front door, saying “death, death, death” (muerte, muerte, muerte). Earlier that day, state police officers had been to the house, and finding that he was not at home, had asked neighbours where he was. In the early hours of 25 December, as Adolfo Guzmán and his family came home from a Christmas celebration, he received an anonymous telephone call saying “Happy Christmas, as this is going to be your last Christmas” (Feliz Navidad, porque esta va ser tu última Navidad).

On 14 December, another note was pushed under Adolfo Guzmán's front door, saying “Stop it or you’ll die” (no sigan se van a morir). This occurred two days before Adolfo Guzmán was due to attend a court hearing concerning a complaint he had filed against state police. Fearing for his safety, Adolfo Guzmán did not attend the hearing, but he reported all threats to the Chiapas State Public Prosecutor's Office.

Adolfo Guzmán's complaint follows a search of his house by state police on 8 November. About 20 state judicial police officers (Policía Ministerial) entered the house without showing a warrant and intimidated him and his family, including by pointing a gun at Adolfo Guzmán’s wife. The police said they were looking for “someone”, without specifying who this was. The search was apparently ordered by state authorities, who were looking for the organizers of recent protests outside public buildings and blocking roads. The protests were led by local farmers and sellers demanding a space to sell their produce.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language, calling on the authorities to:

• provide immediate and effective protection measures for Adolfo Guzmán and his family, in accordance with their wishes, so they can pursue their complaint against the police;

• conduct a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats received by Adolfo Guzmán and his family, with the results made public and those found responsible brought to justice.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 26 FEBRUARY 2009 TO: