Mexico: Defender of Unión Hidalgo, opponent of EDF wind farm in Oaxaca, suffers armed attack
On 20 February, Edgar Martín Regalado, a member of the Collective in Defense of Human Rights and Communal Property of Unión Hidalgo, was attacked with a firearm while he was travelling home in a motorbike taxi. Edgar had taken part in a press conference in the city of Oaxaca, where he spoke about the actions taken by the Collective against the construction and operation of the Gunaa Sicarú wind farm, which will occupy 4,700 hectares of communal lands and will be operated for 30 years by the company Électricité de France (EDF).
At the conference, the presentation of an appeal against the decision of the civil court in Paris to deny the suspension of the construction of the wind farm project on the grounds that it violates the rights of the Zapotec community of Unión Hidalgo, including the right to free, prior and informed consultation, was announced.
Edgar affirmed that since they began their struggle against the installation of the project, the threats have been constant, as they regularly set fire to the land behind his house.
The BHRRC invited EDF to comment on the attack and the company's response is available.