A leading defender of the Ñuu Savi forest, Irma Galindo Barrios, has disappeared, and feminist collectives and social organizations are noting that her life has been in danger since she began organizing against the talamontes — tree cutters — in her municipality. We have more from a news report filed last week by Diana Manzo.

The 41-year-old environmentalist was last seen on October 27 in the communities of Mier and Terán in the municipality of Atatlahuaca, in Oaxaca’s Mixtec region…

Public officials have been harassing Irma since 2018 for her defense of the forests in the San Esteban Atatlahuaca municipality and for her condemnation of logging before the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources. She has faced persecution, defamation, and even death threats.

On November 10, 2019, her house was burned down, which forced her to live in hiding for several days. On that same day, 10 more houses in her community were burnt. Irma claimed that the municipal president and local authorities were responsible.

On October 23 of this year, as result of armed attacks in the villages of San Esteban Atatlahauca, hundreds of villagers abandoned their homes and dozens of children, women, and older people were forced to live in an improvised camp in the community of Mier Terán y Ndoyonunyuji.

The official Human Rights Defense Organization for the People of Oaxaca has requested an investigation, calling defenders of human rights essential people whose work gives voice to “historically invisible” people. These people — such as Irma — will continue to confront dangerous situations created by invested political and economic interests.