For more than a decade, Mexico has experienced extreme violence and gross human rights abuses, much of which is the result of a failed strategy to fight drug trafficking. This includes thousands of unprosecuted murders at the hands of drug cartels and organized crime, forced disappearances, and violent attacks against women. Journalists and activists are frequently subject to state-sponsored or condoned threats. The climate of impunity also makes it easy for mining and other industries to take control of land without regard for local communities or the environment and for employers to exploit laborers and domestic workers.
Despite harassment and these challenges, Mexico’s people have a critical role in mobilizing for economic, political, and social change and to create a more equal, peaceful society.
The Fund supports more than 30 organizations in Mexico. These daring activists work to strengthen the justice system and to curb corruption so that violent attacks and criminal activity can be prosecuted effectively. They demand resources to increase forensic investigations to secure justice and closure for victim’s families. They support survivors of violence with legal and psychosocial services and help galvanize rural communities to defend their land and resources.
