María Elena Ríos, Oaxacan saxophonist attacked with acid, denounced that protective measures were withdrawn

María Elena Ríos, a saxophonist originally from Oaxaca, suffered a sulfuric acid attack in 2019 that left serious wounds and scars on her skin; almost three years after the attack on her justice has not quite reached his case, especially now that he denounced on his social networks that the Advisory Council of the Mechanism for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights Defenders Human Rights and Journalists in Mexico, unprecedented, limited the precautionary measures of protection that had been provided to him.

According to the saxophonist, this decision was arbitrary, since in previous days she held a meeting with the governing board where at no time was it agreed that the protection granted would be limited. Similarly, María Elena questioned the Undersecretary for Human Rights, Population and Migration, Alejandro Encinas, whether this resolution had anything to do with the friendship between the head of the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists of Mexico, Enrique Irazoque and the Attorney General of Oaxaca, Arturo Mr. Peimbert.

“@CMecanismo today notified me that the precautionary measures towards me will be less. Arbitrary decision because last March 29 in the governing board did not agree that. @A_Encinas_R has to do with @eipdh's friendship with @PeimbertArturo!?” , wrote María Elena on her Twitter account.

During a government meeting she attended on March 29, María Elena told the media that the federal authorities did everything possible to withdraw her precautionary measures, arguing that she was no longer in danger even though her aggressor is still at large, that those involved have not yet been sentenced and that he continues to receive all kinds of threats.

Although it was initially agreed that the saxophonist would continue to be protected by an escort for another six months during her transfers to the City of Mexico received an email on Wednesday stating that the measure would be revoked since federal authorities considered that the risk María Elena Ríos runs is only in her community, but that elsewhere in the country she is safe.

Fearing any attack on her integrity, Maria Elena Ríos has insisted through her social networks that the Under - Secretary for Human Rights, Population and Migration, Alejandro Encinas will hear his case, however, and despite his persistence, he has not received any response from the official.

“Undersecretary @A_Encinas_R stop evading me, I need full protection measures or does he also want to see me death like the fellow journalists who failed? You know my phone, I await your call soon”, is the message that is read repeatedly on the saxophonist's Twitter account.

On September 9, 2019, Maria Elena Ríos was attacked with acid outside her home. One of those involved, Juan Antonio Vera Carrizal, former partner of the young woman and former PRI local MP, has been identified as the mastermind of the events, however, in addition to 49-year-old Vera Carizzal, three more subjects were arrested at the time of the attack. The fourth person involved, who remains a fugitive from justice, is the son of the former official.

In June 2021, the Oaxaca State Attorney General's Office (FGEO) issued a search form to locate Juan Antonio Vera Hernández, alias El Junior. The Oaxacan authorities specified in the file that he is wanted for attempted femicide and reported that they offer a reward of up to one million pesos for truthful information that leads to his whereabouts and facilitates his capture.

KEEP READING: