Rita Amador López
Rita Amador López is a leader of the Unión Popular de Vendedores Ambulantes 28 de Octubre – UPVA, an organisation based in Puebla that defends the rights of street merchants as well as labour rights. The human rights defender has been subjected to repeated violations, such as defamation and smear campaigns, in addition to death threats. Rita Amador López is currently facing fabricated criminal proceedings along with other members of UPVA 28 de Octubre.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists in Mexico are subject to intimidation, legal harassment, arbitrary detention, death threats, acts of physical aggression, enforced disappearances and killings as a result of their activities in defence of human rights and the exercise of freedom of expression and journalism.
Disappearances are endemic in Mexico, often happening with collusion from the state. HRDs working on the issue face serious risk, up to and including death. HRDs working in the defence of territory, particularly indigenous territory, face a similar level of risk. They are criminalised, imprisoned, defamed, and often killed. Journalists working on any of these issues, or issues related to the drugs trade and the government's complicity in this, also run the risk of losing their lives.
