Join Us in Demanding the Search and Rescue for Mexican Human Rights Defenders Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca and Antonio Díaz Valencia

Alianza Americas, a network of 58 civil society organizations led by Latin American and Caribbean immigrants living in the U.S., express our solidarity and join the demands for the search and rescue of Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca, human rights lawyer, and Professor Antonio Diaz Valencia, an Indigenous community leader of Aquila, Michoacan, Mexico, who were victims of kidnapping and forced disappearance on Sunday, January 15. 

Both were disappeared when they left a communal assembly held in the municipality of Aquila and were on their way to the capital of Colima state. Díaz led a group of community members who, with Lagunes as their legal advisor, work in opposition to another community group that unconditionally supports the expansion plans of the multinational mining corporation Ternium, which has been operating in Aquila for decades. 

Below you will find  resources to take action and express your solidarity with Ricardo and Antonio, their family, and community. 

INFOGRAPHIC

Learn more about the case via this infographic. Click on the image to watch more. You can download it here and please share it directly on your social networks. 

PRESS CONFERENCE

On Wednesday, February 1, Alianza Americas and Colectiva MAPAS de Michoacán, organized a press conference with the participation of Antoine Lagunes, Ricardo Arturo Lagunes’ brother and Alianza Americas leaders. Watch the conference below.

LETTER TO MEXICAN AUTHORITIES

In solidarity,  organizations have signed and sent a letter to the Mexican authorities detailing our demands in this case. Read more below.

TOOLKIT

Our partner organization in Mexico, the National Network of Civil Human Rights Organizations “All Rights for All” (Red TDT) has published this digital toolkit with sample messages that you can use to share on your social media channels and continue to demand that  Mexican  deploy the search and rescue of of Ricardo and Antonio. 

FOLLOW RICARDO AND ANTONIO’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Ricardo and Antonio’s families have created a website, a Twitter account and a Facebook group to share information about the search demands. We encourage you to follow these channels and join the demands for justice for Ricardo and Antonio.