Mexico: Protestantism

(asked on 15th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Mexican Government on the reported removal of some Mexican protestants’ access to water, electricity and other basic services.


Answered by
Wendy Morton Portrait
Wendy Morton
This question was answered on 26th May 2020

We are aware of reports of removal of some Mexican Protestants' access to water, electricity and other basic services in Mexico. The assessment by the Mexican Government, the local UN Human Rights office, and local civil society organisations is that while there are cases of individuals being targeted because of their religion or beliefs, people are more often targeted for their work and activities in defence of human rights or because of religious intolerance between faiths. We will continue to raise our concerns when we become aware of such cases.

As I referenced in my response to PQ 47313, the UK Government continues to engage regularly with Mexican authorities at ministerial, official, and state levels to discuss human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and to support a broad human rights agenda in Mexico. Most recently, I discussed human rights with the Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister when he visited London on 9 March. During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Mexico in August 2019, he raised human rights with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who expressed his support for working with the UK both bilaterally and multilaterally to protect human rights. Additionally, Baroness Williams raised FoRB with the Mexican Interior Minister in September 2019.

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