Eustacio Alcalá Díaz
Sources
Eustacio Alcalá Díaz disappeared on 1st April, in the community of San Juan Huitzontla, municipality of Chinicuila, Mich, between 13:00 and 15:00. Eustacio was driving a pick-up truck along the road leading from the community to the Coalcomán - Aquila federal highway to take missionaries to the community, when on the way, a group of people deprived him of his freedom, leaving the missionaries on the side of the road. On April 4th, his relatives were notified that he had been found dead. Originally from the Nahua community of San Juan Huitzontla, in the state of Michoacán, the defender had a long career in the defence of the territory and, as an authority, he signed a lawsuit for indirect protection in which he acts as a common representative and by which Huitzontla obtained the suspension of various mining concession titles granted without free, prior and informed consultation in favour of the people of Huitzontla, prior and informed consultation in favour of the Las Truchas mining company, owned by ArcelorMittal, and the Las Encinas mining unit of Siderurgica Ternium. The inhabitants of San Juan Huitzontla have faced various threats for defending their territory and due to the climate of insecurity and generalised violence throughout the region.