Mexico: Excessive use of force in protest

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ID with SR on freedom of expression

28 June 2024

Oral Statement by Wendy Galarza

We welcome the recent appointment of the current Rapporteur, Gina Romero, with whom we hope to continue to denounce the excessive use of force by security forces during protests throughout Latin America.

My name is Wendy Galarza, and on 9 November 2020, I went out to protest against the feminicide of Alexis in one of the most touristic places in Mexico: Cancun. During that night, I could also have been a victim of feminicide, as the state police turned their weapons against the protesters, shot at us, they sexually tortured us and also brutally beat us.

Together with my colleagues who are survivors of this state crime, we have followed a journey of access to justice, to truth, to full reparation, to guarantees of non-repetition, but also to a punishment of the police responsible for that night.

As a victim of torture, I will not stop raising my voice for my human rights and for those of other victims, in particular, for my companions survivors of torture who were repressed by the police in the protests on 5 June 2020 in Jalisco, on 8 March 2024 in Zacatecas and also in Puebla, and on 20 June 2024 in Veracruz.

Thank you very much.