Indigenous Wixarika Leader and Activist Murdered in Mexico
Indigenous Wixarika Leader and Activist Murdered in Mexico
Margarito Diaz was a prominent rights defender in his community, concerned about the
acred territory of the Wixarika people. | Photo: Facebook Ismerai Betanzos
Published 12 September 2018 (3 hours 17 minutes ago)
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The Indigenous Wixarika Marakame, spiritual leader and community security council member Margarito Diaz Gonzalez has been murdered in his home in Aguamilpa, Nayarit, western Mexico.
People close to Diaz Gonzalez said he was at home with his wife when someone knocked on the door on Saturday. He was then shot in the face as he opened it. Despite being an important figure in his community, both in spiritual and political terms, the police didn’t open an investigation. It wasn’t until his funeral on Tuesday that the news emerged, putting pressure on the government.
The Marakame dedicated his life to the preservation of the Wixarika culture and the defense of their ancestral territory in the face of continuous invasions by companies and landowners.
He was a representative of his community at the Security Council of Wirikuta, aiming to protect the sacred desert lands to which Wixarikas peregrinate and which is under threat from Canadian mining companies. He was also a member of the Wixarika Union of Ceremonial Centers of Jalisco, Durango and Nayarit.
More:
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Indigenous-Wixarika-Leader-Activist-Killed-Mexico-20180912-0034.html
