Human rights defender at increased risk

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According to the information we have received, her police escorts were withdrawn because they are needed for other activities related to the COVID-19 contingency.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.