In a letter addressed to Mexico’s Secretary of the Interior Alejandro Poiré, WOLA expresses our concern over the security situation of Mexican human rights defender Norma Andrade. On February 3, Ms. Andrade was attacked by a man with a knife outside of her home in Mexico City. Fortunately, Ms. Andrade managed to defend herself from the attacker, but the incident raises serious concerns about the lack of guarantees for Mexican human rights defenders.
Following the death of her daughter in 2001, Ms. Andrade founded Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (NHRC), an organization that seeks justice in the cases of disappearances and murders of women in Ciudad Juarez. Since then, Ms. Andrade, her family, and other members of the organization have faced threats and attacks related to their work. In December 2011, Ms. Andrade was shot multiple times outside her home in Ciudad Juarez and subsequently relocated to Mexico City due to safety concerns.
In the letter, WOLA urges the Secretary to carry out a full investigation of both attacks carried out against Ms. Andrade, who announced on February 7th that she would leave Mexico. These attacks demonstrate the urgent need to establish an effective protective mechanism for human rights defenders in Mexico.