Indigenous leaders' families demand justice for unsolved murders

Families of indigenous leaders in Peru and Mexico are demanding justice for unsolved murders linked to land disputes and social activism.

In Peru, the family of Santiago Guardamino Gonzáles, former president of the Quipán Peasant Community, continues to seek answers two years after his assassination. The crime occurred amid a legal conflict involving Industrias Argüelles. The dispute stems from a 2016 incident where former community president Abel Mosquera Ortiz allegedly used falsified documents to sell 10,000 hectares of communal land to the company.

In Mexico, the family of Arturo Pimentel Salas, leader of the National Indigenous and Peasant Front (FNIC), is calling for results 13 years after his murder. Tania Pimentel, his daughter, has criticized the lack of progress in the investigation and demanded that authorities identify the perpetrators and protect witnesses who face ongoing threats. The family is seeking a dialogue with state and federal authorities to address social demands and combat impunity.