Governor of the State of Jalisco
Lic. Alberto Cardenas Jimenez
Gobernador del Estado de Jalisco
Pedro Moreno Corona s/n
44100 Guadalajara, Jalisco
Mexico

Dear Governor:

I am writing to express my concern for the safety and well-being of nine members of the indigenous community of Santa Maria Tequepexpan in Jalisco State whose whereabouts are currently unknown:

Jose Cleofas Sandoval Hernandez (age 28)

Arnulfo Galindo Rico (age 20)

Esperanza Cuevas Sandoval, pregnant (age 20)

Maria de Lourdes Cueva Sandoval (age 10)

Maria Guillermo Dominguez (age 6)

Antonio Gonzalez Parra

Carmen Vieyra Robles

Maria de los Angeles Martinez Gonzalez

A 4-month-old baby

I understand that approximately 4,000 police agents raided the community of Santa Maria Tequepexpan in the early morning hours of 14 August and forcibly evicted more than 1,000 people from 200 hectares of land they had reclaimed. This operation left more than 40 people injured, some of them children.

I am very concerned for the nine people named above as they have not been seen since the attack. I urge you to use your influence to ensure that their whereabouts are accounted for and made public immediately.

Unfortunately, this most recent incident at Santa Maria Tequepexpan is not an isolated case. The use of violence by members of security forces against indigenous communities involved in land disputes has become commonplace in Mexico. This cycle of violence and human rights abuse is not acceptable and must stop. For this reason, I also urge you to ensure that the latest attack against the people of Santa Maria Tequepexpan is fully and promptly investigated.

Respectfully yours,