San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas
July 24, 2025
Bulletin No. 05
The lives and integrity of human rights defenders are at risk in the “safest state in Mexico.”
- In less than 10 months, there have been two raids against members of Frayba.
The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) expresses its deep concern over the raid on the home of our Director, Dora Roblero, which occurred on the night of July 22, 2025, in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas.
This is not an isolated case. As we documented in our most recent report, “Chiapas, in the spiral of armed and criminal violence,” the situation of risk for those of us who defend human rights in the state has intensified. In less than ten months, this would be the second raid against a member of Frayba, in a context marked by harassment, intimidation, and systematic surveillance reported to federal and state government authorities, as well as to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which granted Frayba Precautionary Measures MC-5210.
It should be noted that Dora Roblero was recently confirmed as Director of Frayba by its Board of Directors on July 4, in the same context in which this violent act was perpetrated as a repressive measure against the political continuity of this Center.
The break-in occurred at approximately 7:52 p.m., when a neighbor noticed that the front door of Dora Roblero’s house was open. After receiving the warning, Dora asked them to turn on the living room light and close the door. When they did so, they did so, they heard a noise upstairs, so they immediately closed the door and left the premises.
Members of the Frayba team arrived shortly thereafter, arriving at the residence at 8:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, they found several signs ofa break-in: the street lights were not working, despite being activated by motion sensors, the front door lock had been forced, a chair had been moved to the kitchen, the backyard door was missing its latch, a second-floor window was wide open, and a bottle of shampoo was lying in the shower.
Given the seriousness of the situation, at 9:30 p.m. the emergency button of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders was activated. However, the institutional response was negligent and evasive. At 9:39 p.m., a state agent contacted her only to ask about the precautionary measures, without offering any support or taking any action. Dora pointed out that she never received the contact numbers of the agents responsible for patrolling her home. The agent’s only suggestion was to call 911.
The lack of protection continued. At 10:02 p.m., a municipal police patrol arrived at the scene with four officers, who merely conducted an interview without taking any action. At 10:40 p.m., four State Guard officers arrived, without activating an adequate protection protocol, and left the scene at 11:00 p.m.
In light of these events, we filed a formal complaint with the Altos District Attorney’s Office for the crimes of trespassing and any other crimes that may result, under case number R.A. 0958-078-0305-2025. It is clear that justice will not come from the Mexican government, as demonstrated by the cases of impunity that remain an unbreakable barrier, such as the case of Simón Pedro or the case of Father Marcelo.
This act constitutes a serious violation of human rights and the international protection framework, as it contravenes the precautionary measures issued by the IACHR, which the Mexican State is obliged to comply with. Furthermore, it represents a direct attack against Dora Roblero, Frayba as an institution, and its members, a clear reprisal for their work in defending and denouncing the multiple acts of violence committed in Chiapas.
At Frayba, we have documented this incident as part of a series of attacks that demonstrate the serious deterioration in the guarantee of human rights in Mexico, especially for those who fight for justice from the territories.
The negligence, lack of coordination, and institutional unwillingness are part of a systematic policy of neglect that constantly exposes those who defend life and territory, contradicting the official discourse of the state government, which prioritizes propaganda and population control over the guarantee of rights, emptying concepts of peace and justice of their meaning and using them in a trivial, publicity-seeking manner.
Original text published by Frayba on July 25th, 2025.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.