8 de March de 2021 Publication

Defending rights in times of COVID

In July and August 2020, a group of national and international organisations involved in the defence of human rights and freedom of expression in Mexico and Central America convened 26 Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), from the region, to discuss and review how the pandemic was impacting them, their work, and their organisations. The “Defending Rights in Times of COVID” series featured the following five conversations:

• Women HRDs and the right to defend human rights,
• Freedom of expression and access to information during a pandemic,
• The struggle for memory, truth, and access to justice,
• Defending the environment and territory in Meso-America,
• Workers’ rights and trade-unionism.

These conversations highlighted a diverse mosaic of struggles, stories, challenges, complexities and
strategies. However, the unanimous consensus from the forums was that the conditions to defend
human rights in Mexico and Central America, as well as the living conditions of HRDs, have worsened since the onset of COVID-19. The obstacles that existed prior to the pandemic have become more pronounced and attacks against particular groups and spaces defending rights have increased.
Furthermore, new groups have come under attack and new strategies have been employed by states
to impede the work of HRDs and journalists.