José Gabriel Pelayo

José Gabriel Pelayo Zalgado is a Nahua human rights defender and teacher from Coahuayula, a community in the municipality of Chinicuila in the Sierra-Costa region of Michoacán, Mexico. His human rights work has focused on protecting the land and environment in Chinicuila from organised crime.

José Gabriel Pelayo Zalgado was a key figure in establishing the Concejo Popular de Chinicuila (Chinicuila People’s Council), a body that combats corruption and abuse of power in local politics. As a coordinator of the Concejo Popular and a promoter of citizen participation processes, José Gabriel Pelayo Zalgado advises initiatives to defend land and territory based on dialogue and collective action, and has become a focal point in Michoacán and other regions of Mexico. Furthermore, he has promoted initiatives aimed at strengthening community life and has become a key figure in finding collective solutions to issues of autonomy and self-defence.

His role as a teacher has been essential in his work as a human rights defender, as he has promoted education focused on social transformation, environmental care, and collective participation.

Human rights defender José Gabriel Pelayo Zalgado disappeared on 19 March 2024, and to date there has been no information on his whereabouts. Those close to him have highlighted that this incident is part of a violent pattern in the Sierra-Costa region, as well as the impunity faced by those who defend the land and the environment. His family, communities, and organisations are calling on the Michoacán Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate these events diligently, with a particular focus on the human rights defence work carried out by José Gabriel Pelayo Zalgado.