"Ternium mining company executives threatened defenders before their disappearance: Aquila community members", 01 February 2023

...A month before their disappearance, community leader Antonio Díaz and lawyer Ricardo Lagunes were threatened by Ternium executives, accuse community members from Aquila, Michoacán. In the last year they have also faced persecution for their social and legal struggle...

On 13 December last, during a communal assembly in Aquila, the threat against the defenders took place. The warning by the community members led by Díaz Valencia that they would stop work at the mine if Ternium did not meet their demand for a fair royalty payment for each tonne of iron extracted and for the temporary occupation - or rent - of the concessioned land caused annoyance among the company directors who attended the meeting: Rogelio Omaña Romero, manager of Human Resources, Community Relations and Social Development; Diego Ferrari, director of Mining Development, and José Ulises González, head of Community Relations for the company belonging to the Italian-Argentine Techint group and headquartered in Luxembourg.

"Toño Díaz and a group received a threat from the mining company; the manager made it to them in the assembly, he told them that they were going to 'lift them up' at any moment and that they had to submit to the interests of the mining company; when they did not give in, we fear that this is the reason for this (their disappearance)," said a community member who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.

"We told them that we knew they were paying to 'lift us up' and that this was a death threat"....

(Translated by the BHRRC)