El Observatorio de Chiapas is a first-of-its-kind state-wide coalition of twenty non-NGOs dedicated to sharing information related to the growing security threats for human rights and land defenders in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. The region is marked by poverty, social inequality, conflict, militarisation and violence. In addition to traditional tensions around Indigenous resistance movements, repressive security forces and the influence of the United States, in recent years Chiapas has become a strategic enclave for organised crime cartels.
This observatory is made up of individual partner organisations that contribute to the generation of more reliable statistics, help build a clearer contextual picture for advocacy, and support efforts to monitor and track the risks and threats their members face while doing their work. This coalition includes mid-sized international NGOs, small local organisations, and independent human rights defenders working across a spectrum of issues, including migrants’ rights, women’s rights, land rights, Indigenous rights, and more.