Seán Crowe
Ceist:167. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the assassination of a person (details supplied); and if he will raise the case with his Mexican counterpart. [3374/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 25 January 2017
Ceisteanna (167)
Freagraí scríofa
My attention has been brought to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, namely the tragic killing of Mr. Isidro Baldenegro López on 15 January. Mr. Baldenegro is the second recipient of the Goldman environmental prize to be killed in the space of 12 months, and in that context I would also like to pay tribute to the memory of Berta Cáceres, the Honduran activist and Goldman prize recipient, who was killed in March 2016.
The trend towards violence against environmental rights organisations in parts of Latin America is of great concern and is being monitored closely by my Department. My officials engage regularly with civil society partners, including from the Latin American region, on these issues. I do not hesitate to condemn any intimidation or violence perpetrated against human rights defenders in Mexico or elsewhere.
On 20 January 2017, the European Union Delegation in Mexico along with the Ambassadors of EU Member States resident in Mexico, including Ireland’s Ambassador Hyland, issued a statement expressing their sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Baldenegro López and urging the Mexican authorities to make every possible effort to expedite the investigation into his murder and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Ireland and other EU Member States engage with the Mexican authorities on human rights on an ongoing basis. In particular the EU uses the High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights, the High-Level Political Dialogue and the Security and Justice Dialogue, to raise issues related to human rights, rule of law and security with the Mexican authorities in open and frank discussions.
EU Member States including Ireland are to the fore in funding projects led by national and international NGOs aimed at improving the protection of human rights in Mexico. Ireland has also provided support to civil society and missionary organisations for development projects to improve, amongst other things, the human rights situation in Mexico. In addition, since 2005 my Department has provided over €1.2 million in funding to the IACHR, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere.