“Racial discrimination and the dispossession of natural resources in indigenous territories without free, prior and informed consent: The case of Choréachi”, 11^th April 2019

…The community of Choréachi is a landmark case that clearly demonstrates the link between the structural racism that infringes upon the human rights of indigenous people in Mexico whilst facilitating the dispossession of their natural resources without free, prior and informed consent… Since 2007, the context of violence in the Sierra Tarahumara has increased dramatically…In particular, this violent persecution has been directed towards those who defend land rights and natural resources…In 2018, the Agrarian Superior Court…unanimously recognised the territory of the Rarámuri community of Choréachi, acknowledging an area of 32,832 hectares and affirming their rights to the natural assets that exist within their territory. This resolution implies that other agrarian communities and private companies should now be prevented from exploiting the forest. However, the community of Choréachi is still awaiting the implementation of this ruling…Although the community of Choréachi won this sentence, in Chihuahua there have been more than 36 human rights defenders assassinated since 1973. 14 of these assassinations were defenders of land rights and natural resources from the Sierra Tarahumara. Isidro Baldenegro and Julián Carrillo who were killed in 2017 and 2018 respectively, were both Rarámuri community leaders from the Coloradas de la Virgen community, located in the same municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo…