On February 17th, PROPAEO (Oaxaca State Environmental Protection Agency) closed down the irregular exploitation of stone material in La Llovizna, a community reserve zone shared by Unión Hidalgo and La Ventosa, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Following a visit to the area in May 2022, community defenders from Unión Hidalgo observed the use of explosives without authorization and with complete ignorance of the local populations and authorities. As a result, they filed a complaint with PROPAEO for the unauthorized use of national assets and damage to biodiversity, which finally proceeded with the closure of the site.
We recall that the work of defending human rights, including the defense of the environment, territory, access to justice, access to information, and the right to defend among others, are recognized by national and international legislation, including the Escazú Agreement, recently signed by our country in 2020, which contains in its Article 9 provisions for the protection of environmental defenders.
