On May 1, Natalia Lara and Javier Alvarado, young environmental defenders, were arrested and arrested by police officers from the Secretariat of Public Security in the Mexico City Metro.
Both were initially accused of carrying out acts of vandalism during the march that was taking place within the framework of Labor Day. In the video recorded by Lara, Alvarado is seen, without a shirt due to the struggle and held by three police officers, while a couple more prevent Natalia from getting close.
In the absence of evidence, Lara was released from charges, but Alvarado was presented to the Public Prosecutor's Office for Sexual Offences, where an investigation kit was opened for the alleged abuse of a female police officer during her arrest in the Metro.
“On May 2, Javier and I went to the Mexico City Human Rights Commission to file a complaint about police abuse and arbitrary arrests of land defenders,” Lara says.
As part of the reparation measures, both request a public apology and sanctions from the police who arrested them. In an interview with Causa Natura Media, both defenders point out that and, until the press of this issue, the authorities of the capital's Public Prosecutor's Office have reported no progress on the complaint and the petitions.
In the “Report on the Situation of Individuals and Communities Defending Environmental Human Rights in Mexico 2024”, published this year, by the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), there is a section dedicated to aggressions that exist in areas where megaprojects are established.
Those linked to the construction of housing, service and commercial developments are among the top three most violent with 10 documented attacks. Only lower than those linked to pig farms and illegal logging, with 10 and 11 attacks, respectively.
Both Natalia and Alvarado belong to movements of indigenous peoples and neighborhoods in Mexico City, such as Santa Úrsula Coapa, which have organized against the establishment of megaprojects for commercial purposes such as the expansion of the Azteca Stadium with a view to the 2026 World Cup, this is one of their main reasons for mobilization due to the water concession and the construction of a well provided to Televisa.
“It is also 10 months since the aggression we received from paramilitary groups on September 5 of last year, which was also news that became media because they repressed us,” recalls Alvarado, who mentions that two other colleagues also have open research kits for participating in social movements.
“It's no use for us to give a public apology, if they're going to leave our folders open to continue conditioning us,” Alvarado says.
Regarding the rest of the lawsuits, Natalia Lara points out that they continue to insist that the water concession for the Azteca stadium megaproject be canceled, that information be provided on the environmental impacts of the works surrounding the World Cup and that the construction permits of Televisa be removed.
“It is very important that construction studies be canceled because that way we can be sure that the space is not ceded to real estate projects. But as long as these construction permits are not canceled, we continue to violate them,” he concludes.
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