Sandra Domínguez, a Mexican human rights defender, and her husband, Alexander Hernández, have gone missing. Sandra’s family reported their disappearance to the Office of the Attorney General of Oaxaca. The couple was last seen at their home in María Lombardo de Caso, in San Juan Cotzocón, Oaxaca, on October 4, 2024.
We urge Mexican authorities to take immediate and coordinated action, using all available resources, to find Sandra Domínguez alive. Authorities should work closely with her family and all relevant search teams. Additionally, we call for those responsible for this disappearance to be brought to justice.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the Governor of Oaxaca stat urging the authorities to:
- Take all necessary steps to locate Sandra Domínguez alive by coordinating efforts with her family and all relevant search and investigative teams to maximize the effectiveness of their search.
- Ensure that those involved in Sandra’s disappearance are held accountable and bring them to justice.
Write to:
Governor Salomón Jara Cruz
State of Oaxaca
Valerio Trujano s/n, Centro Histórico
68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico
Email: salomon.jara@oaxaca.gob.mx
X: @salomonj / @GobOax
Salutation: Dear Governor,
And copy:
His Excellency Carlos Manuel Joaquin Gonzalez
Ambassador
Embassy of the United Mexican States
45 O’Connor Street, Suites 1000, 1010 and 1030
Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4
Tel: (613) 233-8988, -9272, -9917 / 613-795-1868 (24h)
Email: infocan@sre.gob.mx
Sandra Domínguez: Defender and advocate for Indigenous women’s rights
Sandra Domínguez is an Ayuuk indigenous rights defender and lawyer from Oaxaca, Mexico. She has dedicated her work to fighting violence against women. In 2020, Sandra exposed a WhatsApp group where Oaxaca state officials shared sexual images of indigenous women. Sandra herself was one of the victims whose images were circulated. She took legal action, filing a criminal complaint against an official involved in the chat.
The crisis of disappearances in Mexico
Mexico faces a staggering crisis of missing persons. In 2024 alone, the National Search Commission (CNB) recorded at least 10,228 new cases of missing and disappeared people. Official data reveals that from 1952 to October 2024, a total of 116,615 individuals were reported missing. Families and communities of the disappeared often face significant risks as they search for their loved ones, including threats, violence, and even enforced disappearance.
International standards for protecting women searchers
Amnesty International’s report, Searching Without Fear: International Standards for Protecting Women Searchers in the Americas, highlights that searching for disappeared persons is a fundamental right under international human rights law. With most searchers in the Americas being women, the report outlines states’ responsibilities to protect these women from gender-specific threats and attacks they face during their search efforts.
Please take action as soon as possible until December 17, 2024! The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.
