Letter to Mrs Marie-Anne Coninsx, Head of EU delegation to Mexico, May 27th[:]

Dear Mrs Coninsx,

I am writing to you concerning the deaths of Bety Cariño Trujillo, of the Centro de Apoyo Comunitario Trabajando Unidos (CACTUS) and Jyri Jaakkola, a Finnish national, in a violent attack near San Juan Copala, Oaxaca, Mexico and of yet another more recent murders in the area last week.

As you know, many institutions and also Members of the European Parliament have expressed their condolences to the victims and their worries about the human rights situation in Oaxaca area.

Naturally the Subcommittee of Human Rights of the European Parliament, which I have the honour to chair, will follow the issue closely and want to see that the EU is actively seeking guarantees for the safety of Mexicans and other nationals in Mexico.

I would also like to inform you that on 23rd May I met Mr. Omar Esparza, in Turku in Finland. He is the widower of Bety Cariño Trujillo, currently in Europe to raise the issue of impunity in Mexico, and while in Finland, he also met the family of Mr. Jaakkola. Mr. Esperza informed me that the situation is getting even worse, and the communities are further isolated since the recent attack. He called on the EU to actively request Mexico to prevent further violence and deaths.

Mr. Esparza specifically asked me to do what I could in my position as the chairperson of the Subcommittee of Human Rights in the European Parliament, to make sure that the security would be guaranteed for the human rights defenders in Oaxaca, and for the families and friends of the victims of violence. Mr. Esparza was worried of the security of his own family, as well as of the family of Mrs. Cariño Trujillo. Recently I have heard that the members of the families have been seriously threatened.

We were also informed that another human rights convoy is planned for the 7th June, but that the security of the participants is unsure. He called on the EU to put pressure on the Mexican state to assure there will be no new victims during this convoy.

I look forward to hearing from you on possible EU measures to ensure the safety in Oaxaca.
Yours sincerely,

Heidi Hautala
Chairwoman of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights