Emergency Alert: Relatives of Murdered Activist Kidnapped in Valle de Juárez

Relatives of Josefina Reyes, a prominent anti-militarization activist in Valle de Juárez who was assassinated last were kidnapped Feb. 7. Members of peace and justice organizations in the region have issued statements saying they fear for their lives and are calling on everyone to distribute the following report and write letters to the authorities demanding the safe release of Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes--brother and sister of Josefina--and Luisa Ornelas Soto, Elias' wife.

The following is a translation of the alert:


"Today in the town of Reforma in the municipality of Guadalupe, Valle de Juárez, Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and his wife were taken from their pick-up truck and kidnapped and we fear for their lives.

Malena and Elías are siblings of the activist Josefina Reyes who was threatened for her activities against militarization and later assassinated in Valle de Juárez (see "Background" below). Ruben Reyes, another brother of Josefina, was also assassinated several months ago. It should be noted that the town where the kidnapping took place is located in a zone controlled by the Mexican military.

We must be alert to see what we can do to make sure they are rescued alive. For now, it is urgent to get the word out, denounce the kidnapping and demand of the authorities the immediate appearance of Malena, Elias and his wife alive.

Please distribute this message." 



BACKGROUND:

The recent forced disappearances take place in the context of threats and attacks against the Reyes family since several years ago when human rights defender, Josefina Reyes, became an outspoken critic of the state of impunity in Chihuahua and military abuses. She was assassinated on January 3, 2010. On August 18, 2010 her brother, Ruben Reyes, was also assassinated. Both cases remain unsolved.

Josefina was recognized for her brave work in condemning military abuses and impunity following the abduction of her son by army forces and the assassination of another son in the context of the Mexican military's Operation Chihuahua ordered by President Felipe Calderon. She was among the first to speak out against gender-based crimes against women in the drug war and militarization of the region, and called for the immediate withdrawal of the army. 

Following her assassination, human rights and anti-militarization organizations received anonymous calls warning them not to attend the funeral and homage. Most of them risked their lives by going anyway, where they carried on Josefina's struggle against the army presence under Calderon's US-supported drug war (see video). 

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of the World Organization Against Torture and the International Federation of Human Rights, warned at the time  that it feared that the assassination was motivated by Reyes' protests of military abuses and that more violence could follow. The organization reported that Reyes' house had been raided three times by the army before the assassination.

The CIP Americas Program joins numerous human rights organizations in demanding the safe release of the three individuals abducted. We also demand full investigations into the assassination of Josefina Reyes, her brother and other human rights defenders murdered or missing in Mexico in the course of their work.




Please write to the following addresses to demand that all efforts be made for the safe return of Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa Ornelas and that these cases and others be fully investigated and prosecuted.
Write to:

President Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa, Residencia Oficial de los Pinos, Casa Miguel Alemán, Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, C.P. 11850, México DF. Tel.: + 52 55 27891100 FAX: + 52 55 52772376; + 52 55 27891113. E-mail: felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx

Lic. Arturo Chávez Chávez, Procurador General de la República, Procuraduría General de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc, México D.F., C.P. 06500, México . Fax: +52 55 5346 0908. Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx

• Dr. Raúl Plascencia Villanueva, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos. Fax: + 52 55 36680767 E-mail: correo@cndh.org.mx

• Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Estado de Chihuahua, Fax: +52 614 410 0828

• Permanent Mission of Mexico of the United Nations in Geneva 16, Avenue du Budé. 1202, Geneva, Case postale 433. FAX: + 41 22 748 07 08 E-mail: mission.mexico@ties.itu.int