Photo: PBI-Canada and PBI-Mexico highlighted the importance of strengthening the Protection Mechanism at a meeting with the Embassy of Canada in Mexico City on February 27, 2026.

Peace Brigades International-Canada recognizes trade union activists as human rights defenders and seeks increased protection for them.

This includes strengthening protections such as the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico, as well as the Rapid Response Mechanism within the Canada-U.S. Mexico Agreement.

Labour activists are human rights defenders (HRDs)

The Global Affairs Canada Voices at Risk: Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders notes: “HRDs sometimes focus on specific categories of rights or the rights of specific persons. They may seek to promote and protect civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. They may also … focus on specific themes such as labour rights.”

The Voices at Risk guidelines also highlights: “Women HRDs standing for [a range of rights including] labour rights face greater risk of intimidation, harassment and violence by state or non-state actors, local authorities, anti-government elements, and private sector entities…”

Rapid Response Mechanism

We note that the United Steelworkers (USW) has recently highlighted: “Canadian Steelworkers joined allies from the U.S. and Mexico in February to strategize on how to secure stronger labour rights in advance of a planned review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).”

The USW then notes: “Participants from the three countries arrived at a common position on how to improve labour rights under the CUSMA. This includes strengthening the Rapid Response Mechanism, whereby workers in Mexico can file complaints of violations of their rights to unionize or to collectively bargain, against employers that export to the U.S. or Canada.”

Orla Mining Ltd. in Zacatecas, Mexico

In November 2024, the Financial Post reported: “The United Steelworkers union (USW) has filed a complaint under the Canada United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on behalf of workers at a Canadian-owned mine in Mexico who have faced assaults and death threats after they joined an independent union.”

“This complaint calls for an independent panel to investigate and address violations of workers’ rights at the Camino Rojo gold and silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, which is owned by Vancouver-based Orla Mining Ltd.”

The article further notes: “The Mexican government has formally recognized Los Mineros as the legal bargaining agent for workers at the Camino Rojo mine. However, the mine’s Canadian owner, Orla Mining, has pressured workers to instead join a pro-employer ‘protection’ union. Over the summer, workers at Camino Rojo reported being intimidated with violence, threats of dismissal and eventually death threats due to their membership in Los Mineros. In the most-recent escalation, armed gunmen broke into the home of Jaime Pulido Leon, a local union leader at the mine.”

By June 2025, The Tyee reported: “The allegations have not yet been tested in court, but the union’s case is being reviewed by three authorities: Mexico’s Supreme Court, the Canadian government and an international panel established by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA, which replaced the previous North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020. The case promises to test the panel as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to tear up the agreement — and underscores a pattern of human rights breaches by Canadian mining companies operating in Mexico.”

Protection Mechanisms

PBI-Canada is currently analyzing the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico in relation to union activists.

Our understanding is that neither the Protection Law nor the Mechanism Regulations limit the access of trade unionists to the Mechanism. As long as their defence of human rights is framed, for example in the right of association, they can enter the Mechanism. However, challenges can arise given non-independent protection unions have been linked with political parties and structures of corruption.

We continue to pursue more information about this.

Overall situation in Mexico

The 2025 ITUC GLOBAL RIGHTS INDEX THE WORLD’S WORST COUNTRIES FOR WORKERS (May 2025) gives Mexico a Rating of 3 noting “regular violations of rights”.

NEXT: Upcoming webinar prior to Mexico-Canada Dialogue

Look for a webinar this spring where we will continue to amplify this message in advance of the Mexico-Canada Dialogue on Human Rights and Multilateral Issues that will take place in Ottawa in the second half of May 2026.

Further reading

–PBI-Canada and PBI-Mexico meet with the Embassy of Canada in Mexico to highlight the need to strengthen the Protection Mechanism (PBI-Canada article, February 27, 2026)

–Initial research survey on the inclusion of union activists in Protection Mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists (PBI-Canada article, January 23, 2026).