San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas: The raid on the home of its director, Dora Lilia Roblero, last Tuesday “is not an isolated incident,” stated the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba).
It added that “in less than ten months, this would be the second raid” against a member of the organization “in a context marked by harassment, intimidation, and systematic surveillance reported to the federal and state governments, as well as to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which granted her Precautionary Measures MC-5210.”
In a statement released Thursday night, the center explained that the raid occurred at approximately 7:52 p.m. on Tuesday the 22nd, “when a neighbor noticed that the front door of Dora Roblero’s house was open. After receiving the news, Dora asked them to turn on the living room light and close the door, whereupon they noticed a noise upstairs.
She added that, after this, “they immediately closed the door and left the premises, after which they arrived to accompany members of the Frayba team, who arrived at the home at 8:30 p.m.”
She noted that “upon their arrival, they observed several signs of a break-in: the streetlights were not working despite being activated by motion sensors, the lock on the main door had been forced, a chair had been moved into the kitchen, the backyard door had no lock, a second-floor window was wide open, and a bottle of shampoo was lying in the shower.”
Frayba stated that “given the seriousness of what was observed, the emergency button of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders was activated at 9:30 p.m., but the institutional response was… Negligence and evasion. At 9:39 p.m., a state agent contacted her solely to inquire about precautionary measures, without offering support or directing any action. Dora stated that she never received the contact numbers of the agents responsible for the patrols at her home. The agent’s only suggestion was to dial 911.
It stated that at 10:02 p.m., a Municipal Police patrol car arrived at the scene with four officers, who simply conducted an interview without any due diligence. 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, it added, “we filed a formal complaint with the Highlands District Attorney’s Office for the crimes of trespassing and the resulting crimes, under the R.A. 0958-078-0305-2025. It is clear that justice will not come from the Mexican government; this is demonstrated by the cases of impunity that remain unshaken, such as the Simón Pedro case or the Father Marcelo case.”
It maintained that “this act constitutes a serious violation of human rights and the international protection framework, as it violates the precautionary measures issued by the IACHR, which the Mexican State is obligated to comply with. Furthermore, it represents a direct attack against Dora Roblero, Frayba as an institution, and its members, a clear retaliation for their work defending and denouncing the multiple forms of violence perpetrated in Chiapas.”
It demanded that the Mexican State “fully and immediately guarantee the comprehensive safety of Dora Roblero and the Frayba team; that the raid be seriously and promptly investigated; that the precautionary measures issued by the IACHR be fully complied with; and that an end be put to the institutional omissions and simulations that violate the rights of those who defend life and dignity.”
It called on “individuals, organizations, and collectives in solidarity to demonstrate against this direct and structural violence promoted by the federal and state governments; in these dark times, it is vital to defend and protect the lives of those who fight for human rights, land, and territory in Chiapas.”
Original article by Elio Henríquez, La Jornada, July 25th, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.