On 27 January 2024, nine territory defenders, Adelaido López Gallegos, Armando Sánchez Gómez, Orlando de la Cruz Gallegos, Roberto Vázquez Orozco, Ricardo Vargas Ruiz, Alba Pérez Santana, Ana Sanchez Castro, Albino Palacios Orozco and Jorge Ontiveros Álvarez, from Santa María Mixtequilla, Oaxaca, Mexico, were arbitrarily detained and charged with the theft of a police car in the context of protests organised by the community against the imposition of a “Development Zone” as part of the Interoceanic Corridor megaproject.

From 2021 to 29 January 2024, different organisations have recorded at least 46 attacks in total by State institutions, companies or people with interests connected to the construction of the megaproject. This project includes the development of a commercial-industrial corridor between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, the construction of commercial ports, a network of primary and secondary roads, digital connectivity networks, a gas pipeline, as well as ten industrial parks. The project also plans to connect with another large-scale investment project, the "Tren Maya". These projects pose a risk to the livelihoods of the 12 indigenous communities living in the area, as well as to the preservation of their territory and environment.