Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that human rights defender and journalist, Ms Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, has recently been under surveillance by unknown armed men and has also been receiving death threats.

Further Information

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is the director and founder of the Centro Integral de Atención a las Mujeres - CIAM (Comprehensive Centre for Attention for Women) in Cancún, a non-governmental organisation committed to the provision of support to the victims of domestic and sexual violence and sex trafficking. In 2007, Lydia Cacho Ribeiro received the Amnesty International Ginetta Sagan award for the protection of the rights of women and children. Front Line issued a previous appeal concerning the attempted assassination of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, on 15 May 2007.

On 22 May 2009, two unidentified men were seen parked in a silver-blue 2008 Chevrolet vehicle, registration plate number UVV 2266, in front of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro's apartment, filming her home. One of the men stood out from the vehicle and witnesses reported that he was carrying a gun in his belt.

On 18 May 2009, a maroon coloured Lucino vehicle, registration plate UVP295, was parked outside the CIAM Cancún office. When one of the staff members left the premises driving the van belonging to the organisation, the unknown vehicle followed them until they managed to lose it in the traffic on López Portillo Avenue.

On 15 May 2009, two people were parked in the same Lucino vehicle outside Lydia Cacho Ribeiro's apartment for 2 hours. That evening the vehicle was also seen outside the CIAM offices.

On 14 May 2009, a man was seen standing outside the door of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro's apartment. One of her neighbours noted that he was armed. The neighbour did not report the incident as they believed at the time that he was acting as a security guard for the human rights defender. Witnesses have described the man as a robust, dark skinned man, approximately 1.60 metres in height.

On 12 May 2009, the same man was seen in the previously mentioned silver-blue Chevrolet parked in front of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro's house. One of her neighbours reported that the occupant of the vehicle was taking photographs of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro's house and car, examining the vehicle and looking through its windows.

Since 3 February 2009, Lydia Cacho Ribeiro has also been receiving death threats on her blog (www.lydiacacho.net), some warning her that “pronto aparecerá degollada” (soon you will appear decapitated).

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro informed the Quintana Roo State Police of the incidents, and was told that the registration plates given do not correspond to the model of the vehicles and that they will continue to try to identify the owners of the two cars and the registration plates.

This is not the first time that Lydia Cacho Ribeiro has been targeted. Between 2006 and 2008, following the publication of her book “Los demonios del edén: el poder detrás de la pornografía infantil” (The devils of Eden: the power behind child pornography), she was subjected to arbitrary detention, harassment, torture, and illegal extradition to another state. She was also the subject of an assassination attempt in 2007. No one has been brought to justice for these violations.

Front Line is deeply concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro and believes that she is being targeted as a result of her work in the defence of human rights.