Justice for Michoacán: Indigenous Voice on Human Rights Day
On Human Rights Day (10 December), Peace Brigades International was proud to join the FCDO’s commemoration event, where Claudia Ignacio Álvarez, a Purépecha Indigenous human rights defender from Michoacán, Mexico, shared her powerful experience and perspective.
Claudia works with the Red Solidaria de Derechos Humanos, defending Indigenous land rights, supporting agricultural workers, and advocating for families of disappeared defenders - all in one of the most dangerous regions in Mexico for human rights work.
Since 2023, PBI has accompanied Claudia and her organisation, recognising both the urgency and the courage behind their efforts.
Photo (Left to right): Christina Challis (PBI UK Advocacy Manager), Ben Leather (PBI UK Director), Claudia Ignacio Álvarez (Human Rights Defender) and Sandra Young (Translator for Claudia).
This year’s UN Human Rights Day theme — “Everyday Essentials” — resonates deeply with Claudia’s message. As she reminded us, the foundation of freedom, equality, and justice is the guarantee of life and security so that all people can live with dignity. For Claudia, defending human rights is inseparable from protecting cultural diversity, strengthening community-led environmental stewardship, and honouring the memory of those defenders who have been murdered, disappeared, or displaced for their work.
Claudia highlighted the struggles of Purépecha and Nahua communities in Michoacán, who have long organised collectively to protect nature and exercise their territorial rights. She spoke of the grave threats her own community of Tziróndaro faces - including the murder of young mother Roxana Valentín Cárdenas, killed by criminal gunfire during a community commemoration. She also drew attention to the Nahua community of Huitzontla, where the defence of ancestral land against mining concessions has led to the murder of Estacio “Tacho” Alcalá Díaz in 2023 and the forced disappearance of José Gabriel Pelayo in 2024. Investigations into these cases remain stalled, leaving communities vulnerable and without justice.
Naming these cases, Claudia said, is essential - both to prevent them from being forgotten and to honour those who dedicate themselves daily to sustaining life. She called for international solidarity in urging the Mexican government to advance investigations and deliver justice to the families and communities of Roxana, Tacho, and Pelayo.
Claudia also emphasised the need for global accountability, urging the UK to strengthen regulation of corporate activity to prevent human rights abuses, and to fulfil its commitment to Indigenous Peoples by signing ILO Convention 169 as a demonstration of its dedication to democracy and justice.
Today’s dialogue, hosted by Minister Chris Elmore and featuring speakers from Malawi and Myanmar, underscored the importance of elevating the voices and realities of human rights defenders and ensuring concrete international support for their on-the-ground work.
Photo (Left to Right): Minister (Human Rights) Chris Elmore MP; Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar; Eric Sambisa, Human Rights Defender from Malawi; and Claudia Ignacio Álvarez, Human Rights Defender from Mexico.
PBI thanks the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for creating this space and all who amplified Claudia’s message.
It is time to care for the caregivers — to protect the work that Indigenous Peoples do, which is essential to the sustainability of our societies and the planet.
We stand with human rights defenders — today and every day.
