Indigenous Huichol leader who opposed Canadian mining company is murdered

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The Huichol leader opposed the construction of a dam that will supply water to the states of Durango, Jalisco, and Guanajuato, and which will affect the region known as Wirikuta, which is considered sacred Huichol land.

The Human Rights National Commission (CNDH) condemned the murder of Margarito Díaz González, a champion of the and environment and the sacred sites of the Huichol people, and called on the authorities to not to omit the fact of his opposition towards the construction of a storage dam “La Maroma”, in San Luis Potosí, as a possible line of inquiry.

Díaz González was murdered on September 8 at his home, but his death was announced until September 11.

“The CNDH condemns any violent act, especially when it derives, like in this case, in the murder of a leader from the Wixárika community, and calls on the authorities to consider, as a line of inquiry, his opposition, as an environmental defender, he also expressed towards the construction of a storage dam “La Maroma” and the constructions that were part of that project, located in Real de Catorce, Villa de Guadalupe y Matehuala, San Luis Potosí”, said the statement.

The construction of the dam, which will supply water to the states of Durango, Jalisco, and Guanajuato, according to Díaz González, would affect Wirikuta, a sacred Huichol area; nevertheless, in a previous free and informed survey directed to the Wixárika community, federal and local authorities informed the community that their ceremonial site in the Wirikuta natural reserve would be preserved, and committed to reforest the area, and to protect the environment, therefore, they agreed to the project.

Source: El Universal