(Photo@Amnistía Interncional)

April 27th marked seven years since the murder of human rights defenders Bety Cariño (37) and Jyri Jaakkola (33, Finnish) while they were involved in a caravan of humanitarian aid to the indigenous community of San Juan Copala, in the Triqui zone of Oaxaca. Although 13 perpetrators are fully identified, only five have been imprisoned so far.

Indigenous and campesino organizations recalled the events with a march and denounced that “During these seven years we have attended innumerable meetings with all kinds of authorities, and we have met with a wall of indifference, weak institutions and the complicities of federal authorities, which have not wanted to get to the bottom of things to punish the perpetrators of this crime, filing various inquiries that point to those responsible, seeking to hide the truth of what happened in the attack on the caravan and protect the authors, not only material but also intellectual of this and other crimes committed against community defenders in Oaxaca. Unsuccessful and appealing that the detention of those who murdered Bety and Jyri is not possible, the government seeks to simulate a trial by disqualifying the evidence that indicates the responsibility of the perpetrators, while the witnesses and victims who participated in the caravan have been subjected to harassment, permanent threats, attacks and all kinds of bother.”

For more information in Spanish:

Con marcha exigen justicia para activistas asesinados hace siete años en Oaxaca (Proceso, 27 de abril de 2017)

La justicia para Bety y Jyri no llega (EL Imparcial de Oaxaca, 27 de abril de 2017)

Bety Cariño y Jyri Jaakkola, siete años de un crimen impune (Contralínea, 27 de abril de 2017)

Pronunciamiento de organizaciones sociales e indígenas (26 de abril de 2017)

Siete años de impunidad en la Mixteca de Oaxaca: MAIZ (NVI Noticias, 26 de abril de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Oaxaca: Parlamentarias europeas vuelven a denunciar impunidad en el caso del asesinato de Bety Cariño y Jyri Jaakkola (2 de marzo de 2017)

Oaxaca/Internacional : Suman 5 detenidos en el caso del asesinato de Bety Cariño y Jyri Jaakkola (2010) (15 de octubre de 2016)

Oaxaca: PGR archiva el caso del asesinato de Bety Cariño y Jyri Jaakkola (28 de abril de 2016)

Oaxaca: Gobierno del estado no recibe a eurodiputadas por “falta de voluntad” hacia el caso de Bety y Jyri (2 de octubre de 2015)