URGENT ACTION

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AT INCREASED RISK
On 30 March 2020, the Secretariat of Public Security of Yucatan State, Mexico withdrew the two police escorts protecting human rights defender Clemencia Adelaida Salas Salazar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced them with just one officer with limited protection functions. Adelaida is a beneficiary of protection measures granted by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) in 2017 due to the level of risk she faces. We are calling upon the government of the State of Yucatan to restore her full protection scheme in order to protect her life and physical integrity. 

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Mtro. Mauricio Vila Dosal
Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Yucatán 
Calle 61 x 60 y 62,
Centro, C.P. 97000, 
Mérida, Yucatán 
México
Email: mauricio.vila@yucatan.gob.mx
Twitter: @MauVila  

Dear Governor,

I am writing to express my concern about the recent reduction in the protection scheme for human rights defender, Clemencia Adelaida Salas Salazar. 

According to the defender, Yucatan’s Secretariat of Public Security recently withdrew her two police escorts, replacing them with just one officer with limited protection functions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adelaida is a beneficiary of protection measures granted by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) in March 2017, and the current protection scheme that has been applied for her is insufficient to protect her life and physical integrity. 

Measures taken by the State of Yucatan in response to COVID-19 should not further endanger human rights defenders but should rather enable them to carry out their essential work in a safe environment. 

We call upon the Government of Yucatan to immediately restore Adelaida’s full protection scheme in accordance with her wishes and the highest international human rights standards. 

Yours sincerely,

Additional information

Clemencia Adelaida Salas Salazar defends the rights of women in Yucatan State, Mexico. She is the representative for the National Citizens' Observatory on Feminicides (Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio) and a legal representative of Ni una Más A.C., an organization that promotes the adoption of a “gender alert” in Yucatan, which would invoke a set of emergency actions to protect women’s’ rights in the State. This NGO is a member of the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico (Red Nacional de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en México). 
In 2017, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) issued precautionary measures to guarantee the life and physical integrity of Clemencia Adelaida Salas Salazar, due to the risks she faces as a women’s’ rights defender. On 10 April 2020, the CNDH condemned the reduction in her protection scheme in a statement, stating that she remains at imminent risk. 
According to the information we have received, her police escorts were withdrawn because they are needed for other activities related to the COVID-19 contingency. We have also received similar information about another women’s’ rights defender facing the same problem in the State of Yucatan. 

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Spanish
You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 15 June 2020 
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Clemencia Adelaida Salas Salazar (she/her/hers)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr41/2173/2020/en/

Additional TARGETS

Cmdte. Luis Felipe Saiden Ojeda
Secretario de Seguridad Pública de Yucatán / Secretary of public Security of Yucatan
Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de Yucatán / Secretariat of Public Security of Yucatan
Km. 45 Periférico Poniente, Tablaje Catastral 12648, Polígono Caucel Susulá, Mérida, Yucatán, México
Email: luis.saiden@yucatan.gob.mx 
Handle: @sspyuc

Abog. María Dolores Fritz Sierra
Secretaria General de Gobierno / Secretary General of Government
Secretaría General de Gobierno del Estado de Yucatán / General Secretariat of the Government of the State of Yucatan
Calle 61 x 60 y 62, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, México
Email: prensasecretariagg@gmail.com 
Handle: @MariaFritzS and @GobYucatan

And copies to:
Embassy of Mexico
16 St. George Street W1S 1FD
Switchboard: (44-20) 7499 8586
E-Mail: mexuk@sre.gob.mx 
Web Page: http://www.sre.gob.mx/reinounido