Diego Cadenas Gordillo, Director of Frayba

Recent reports from members of the Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, AC (Frayba) in Chiapas indicate disturbing levels of intimidating surveillance by unidentified individuals between 14 and 16 June 2009.

Further Information

Frayba is an independent organisation working in the defence and promotion of human rights, especially for the indigenous villages and communities in the state of Chiapas.

On 16 June 2009, at approximately 9:30am, Mr Diego Cadenas Gordillo and Mr Jorge Armando Gómez, respectively director and member of Frayba, were at a meeting with Mr Samuel Ruiz García, President of Frayba, in Guadalupe Victoria Street when they observed a black Wrangler Jeep, with blacked out windows and no registration plates, parked in the street close by.

The three occupants of the Jeep appeared to be watching the human rights defenders. Diego Cadenas Gordillo and Jorge Armando Gómez approached the vehicle and the former asked the occupants why they were following him.

The individual at the wheel of the vehicle responded that he was not following him, but was waiting for his sister. Diego Cadenas Gordillo asked the man if he was from the Centro de Investigación y Seguridad Nacional (Centre of Investigation and National Security), to which the man laughed and said no.

Diego Cadenas Gordillo and Jorge Armando Gómez attempted to take photographs of the occupants of the vehicle using their cellular phones but the three men covered their faces with their hats. The driver then took out a camera and started to film the incident.

On 15 June 2009, at approximately 10:00am, on his way to the Frayba offices Diego Cadenas Gordillo had noticed the same black Wrangler Jeep between Brasil and Canadá streets, in the suburb of Mexicanos.

The Board of Directors of Frayba had a scheduled ordinary session beginning on that day. At approximately 10:20am, on the same day, two members of Frayba noted a white Chevrolet vehicle, without registration plates, stationed half a block from the Frayba offices. There was a man inside the car taking video camera footage and photographs of the offices. When he realised that he had been observed he left the scene.

On 14 June 2009, at approximately 16:00pm, Diego Cadenas Gordillo, had noticed the black Wrangler Jeep parked three blocks from his home in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. There were two unidentified men inside the car. At 16:30pm the vehicle was parked within view of the house. Diego Cadenas Gordillo was returning home after a visit to Spain where he had received a prize on behalf of Frayba from La Casa America de Madrid (the American House of Madrid).

Front Line believes that the intimidation of members of Frayba is directly related to the work they do in defence of human rights. Front Line is seriously concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Diego Cadenas Gordillo, Jorge Armando Gómez, Samuel Ruiz García and all members of Frayba. Front Line sees this as part of a pattern of ongoing harassment against human rights defenders in Chiapas, Mexico.