On Tuesday, 4 June, Queretaro State Police agents arbitrarily detained Otomí woman defender Estela Hernández Jiménez, member of the National Indigenous Council (CNI) and the Santiago Mexquititlán Autonomous Council, while she was documenting the detention of four members of her community. After her release several hours later, thanks to pressure from organizations and other human rights defenders, Estela reported having been the victim of physical and sexual assaults by the agents, including beatings, hair pulling and kicks to various parts of her body.

Estela Hernández is a renowned woman defender of territory, water and the language and culture of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico, particularly the Otomí Peoples. At the time of her detention, she was at the facilities of the National System for Comprehensive Family Development (DIF) Amealco to document and demand the release of four water defenders from her community, Santiago Mexquititlán, who had been arrested. These detentions take place in the context of the community’s struggle – as members of the National Assembly for Water and Life (ANAVI) – faced with the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) illegally extracting from wells to benefit private interests, creating water scarcity among the population.

The National Network of Women Defenders in Mexico and IM-Defensoras stand in solidarity with our sister Estela Hernández and we condemn her arbitrary detention and the physical and sexual violence committed against her. We therefore demand that the authorities of the State of Querétaro investigate all those responsible for this racist and misogynistic police abuse and take all necessary measures to ensure that it does not happen again.

We also demand guarantees for the safety and protection of Estela Hernández and the other members of her community, as well as respect for their right to protest and defend water, a common resource that can in no way be taken away from communities to benefit private interests.