Front Line is deeply saddened by the recent killing of human rights defender, Ms Josefina Reyes, on 3 January 2010. Josefina Reyes was an active human rights advocate and social activist in Valle de Juárez, Chihuahua State, Mexico, working to oppose repression, violence and human rights violations committed by the military and law enforcement agencies in the region.

Further Information

On 3 January 2010, at approximately 1.30 pm, police found the body of Josefina Reyes outside a shop in Guadalupe municipality, east of Ciudad Juárez. A witness has given testimony to having observed a group of armed men who approached Josefina Reyes and attempted to abduct her.

The human rights defender resisted their attempts and one of the men was heard to say 'te crees muy chingona porque estás con las organizaciones' (you think you're tough because you are with the organisations), before shooting her in the head.

Chihuahua State has experienced increasing violence and insecurity as a result of high levels of organised criminal activity, narco-trafficking and the militarisation of the state. Josefina Reyes has actively opposed the human rights violations being committed in the region since her son was abducted in 2008, allegedly by the military. In August 2009 Josefina Reyes participated in the Foro Contra la Militarización y la Represión (Forum on Militarisation and Repression), in which she denounced the military and their role in the worsening human rights situation.

Front Line believes that the killing of Josefina Reyes is directly related to her work denouncing human rights violations committed by the military in Chihuahua State and particularly in the Juárez region. Front Line remains concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defenders in the state who oppose millitarisation and continue to denounce military committed violations.