Justice Demands Freedom for Fidencio Aldama

Indigenous Yaqui land defender Fidencio Aldama has been imprisoned since October 27, 2016. He is currently serving a sentence of fifteen years and six months for the trumped-up charge of murder. His real crime, in the eyes of the state and multinational corporations, has been his steadfast resistance to the construction of the Sonora Gas Pipeline through his community of Loma de Bácum in Sonora, Mexico. A project of IEnova, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Sempra Energy, the pipeline has been vigorously opposed by the Yaqui community of Loma de Bácum, effectively preventing its construction. Within this context, compañero Fidencio can be seen as a hostage held by the state on behalf of Sempra Energy, with the aim of forcing Loma de Bácum to accept the imposition of the pipeline through its territory.

In a case filled with irregularities and counter to all evidence, Fidencio was found guilty in March 2018. A final appeal of this sentence was filed on August 12, 2021. The last legal recourse available, this appeal now sits before Magistrate Luz Elba de la Torre Orozco of the Third Collegial Tribunal of Penal and Administrative Matters for the Fifth Circuit of the State of Sonora. The tribunal’s ruling is expected to be made at any moment.

Given these circumstances, now is an urgent and decisive moment in the struggle for Fidencio’s freedom. Rather than wait passively for the tribunal to make its decision, now is the moment to amplify the call for Fidencio’s immediate release. Though under no illusions that justice is to be found in the Mexican justice system, we demand the tribunal rule in favor of Fidencio and free him unconditionally. We call on all those who stand in solidarity with Indigenous defenders of land, life, and territory, on all those who stand against the megaprojects imposed by the regime of Andrés Manual López Obrador, on all those who stand against their visions of destruction and erasure, to raise your voices to demand Fidencio’s freedom. Let those who hold Fidencio’s life and future in their hands know that we are watching and will accept nothing but freedom for Fidencio.

Fidencio Aldama has already languished for more than five years in prison, torn from his wife, children, and community. We cannot allow our compañero to spend any more time behind bars. Justice demands freedom for Fidencio Aldama. The time to act is now!

Freedom for Fidencio Aldama!

Freedom for all political prisoners!

End the megaprojects of death!

Fidencio Aldama Support Group