Over 150 Protestant Christians in Hidalgo State, Mexico who were forcibly displaced from their villages in April have returned home following an agreement brokered by state and municipal government officials between the displaced community and village authorities. Village authorities in the neighbouring villages of Rancho Nuevo and Coamila, in the municipality of Huejutla de Reyes have agreed to uphold freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all as part of the terms of the agreement.

The forced displacement of the members of the Great Commission Fundamental Baptist Church, was the culmination of a decade of FoRB violations. On 26 April, village leaders, all Roman Catholics, cut off the electricity to the homes of the religious minority families, vandalised their church, and blocked access to some of their homes. The displaced group, which includes over 70 children and infants, was first housed in a municipal building before being moved to a sports complex. Conditions deteriorated rapidly, with the community relying on local churches for food and forced to use river water for bathing and drinking. Many, especially children and the elderly, experienced illness and infection as a result.

Sources told CSW that a new municipal government, which took office in September, made the case a priority and worked quickly with Hidalgo State Secretary Guillermo Olivares Reyna and Religious Affairs Director Margarita Cabrera Román to ensure that a solution was found that upheld the rights of all, in accordance with Mexican law. Under the agreement, electricity and water services have been reconnected to the homes of those who were displaced. Members of the religious minority group committed to contribute financially to community funds, which they had been blocked from paying since 2015.

For its part, the government agreed to close a criminal investigation filed with the state prosecutor’s office into those responsible for the forced displacement. Those who were forcibly displaced have been given a set period of time to review the conditions of their homes and land as compared to April and have the right to access state programmes for aid, if needed.

Impulso18 National Director Pablo Vargas said: ‘We were gratified to learn the news of the agreement reached last week that has permitted the return of over 30 religious minority families to Coamila and Rancho Nuevo, and we acknowledge the efforts of the state and new municipal governments to reach a solution that upholds freedom of religion or belief for all. We will be monitoring the implementation of the agreement in the weeks and months ahead, to ensure that village authorities honour the terms of the agreement so that everyone in Coamila and Rancho Nuevo might follow the religion or belief of their choice.’

CSW Head of Advocacy Anna Lee Stangl said: ‘The agreement brokered by the Hidalgo State and Huejutla Municipal governments, and agreed to by the Coamila and Rancho Nuevo authorities and the displaced religious minority community, serves as an example of what can be achieved, in terms of protecting freedom of religion or belief and upholding Mexican law, when there is political will and an investment of time and other resources on the part of the government. The process of return and reintegration will take time, and we will be watching to ensure that the local authorities follow through with their promise to respect freedom of religion or belief. We are encouraged by the government’s prioritisation of this case, and hope it represents the turning of a new page not just in the history of Huejutla de Reyes and these two communities, but in Mexico as a whole.’

Notes to Editors: 

1. Rancho Nuevo and Coamila are indigenous Nahuatl-speaking communities that are governed under Uses and Customs. The Mexican constitution guarantees FoRB and other human rights to all citizens. However, in practice FoRB violations are common among indigenous communities governed under the Law of Uses and Customs which protects the right of indigenous communities to maintain their cultural and traditional methods of local governance with the caveat that it must be applied in line with human rights guarantees in the Mexican constitution and in the international conventions to which Mexico is party. However, the Mexican government on both the federal and state levels does little to ensure that these protections are upheld. As a result, in many communities a religious majority attempts to enforce religious uniformity with consequences ranging in severity for members of minorities who wish to practice a religion or belief of their choosing. 
2. Human rights violations linked to FoRB have been ongoing and severe in the neighbouring villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo since 2015. Local authorities repeatedly attempted to force members of the religious minority to participate in Roman Catholic religious festivals, including through financial donations, lighting candles and actively participating in acts of worship. Despite detailed documentation of the case dating back to 2015, previous municipal governments consistently denied that the incidents in Rancho Nuevo and Coamila were linked to FoRB. 
3. Women from Rancho Nuevo participated in CSW research that was used for Let Her Be Heard, a groundbreaking report on how indigenous women in Mexico experience FoRB violations, published in April 2022. 
4. In the past, Hidalgo State government officials repeatedly and publicly denied the existence of any cases of religious intolerance in the state. CSW’s research shows that it has one of the highest numbers of such cases in the country.