Prisons and Colonial Continuities: Indigenous Women’s Experiences of Judicial Racism in Mexico

Written on 18 April 2026.

BY AÍDA HERNÁNDEZ CASTILLO & DANIELA MARCIA TREJO BIZARRO FOR INDIGENOUS DEBATES

Prisons and the criminalisation of Indigenous peoples play a central role in the persistence of a colonial project that continues to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their lands, displace them, and incarcerate the most vulnerable sectors of their communities. The experiences of Indigenous women imprisoned in a high-security federal prison in Mexico illustrate the continuum of violence that shapes their encounters with the State and a racist, patriarchal justice system. These women have developed strategies of resistance by building a sense of community within a space that otherwise fosters competition and distrust among incarcerated women.

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Peacebuilding in the 21 Communities of Teopisca

Written on 11 April 2026.

By María del Carmen Pérez Díaz & Elisa Cruz Rueda for Indigenous Debates 

In the Highlands of Chiapas (Los Altos de Chiapas), in southeastern Mexico, Indigenous communities have developed their own systems of self-governance shaped by a history of forced displacement. Through these processes, they have established shared agreements aimed at preventing violence, resolving conflicts, and strengthening the conditions that make it possible to live with dignity. Peace is understood as a daily practice, built through dialogue and collective responsibility.

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Consultancy: Mapping of Indigenous persons with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics (SOGIESC)

Written on 14 April 2026.

IWGIA is announcing a research consultancy to conduct a study/mapping of Indigenous persons with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).

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A just future beyond fossil fuels: Why the ‘First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels’ matters for Indigenous Peoples’ rights

Written on 09 April 2026.

In April 2026, Santa Marta, Colombia, will host the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels a global gathering aimed at advancing concrete and just pathways to phase out oil, coal and gas while accelerating the shift towards equitable, low-carbon economies. Co-organised by Colombia and the Netherlands, the conference builds on political momentum generated at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. There, 24 countries reacted to the fact that the main decision – the Mutirão decision – omitted any direct reference to fossil fuels, reflecting opposition from several producer countries and persistent divisions among negotiating blocs. In response, these countries issued the Belém Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, calling for coordinated and collective action among states to expedite the phase-out of fossil fuels and to anchor climate action in science-based and rights-based approaches.

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