Mexico and Peru move to codify Indigenous self‑governance and security

In the state of Morelos, Mexico, Deputy Alfonso de Jesús Sotelo Martínez introduced a proposal to amend the Municipal Organic Law by adding a new chapter that would give legal certainty to indigenous municipalities. The bill seeks to recognize Indigenous Councils as governing bodies, define their internal organization, ensure gender parity, and align municipal governance with constitutional and international indigenous rights.

In Peru, a delegation of Indigenous leaders from the Amazon delivered a petition to the national Congress urging approval of Bill 2062/2021‑CR, which would legally recognize the Indigenous Amazonian Security (SIA) system. The proposed law aims to formalize community‑based self‑defense mechanisms that address illegal activities and violence in territories where state presence is limited. The bill, first presented in 2021, has not yet been scheduled for debate.