human rights defender
Higinio Bustos Navarro
Actions and Campaigns
Higinio Bustos Navarro
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Organization affiliation
- Frente Nacional de Lucha por el Socialismo (FNLS)
HRD's year of birth
1963
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Peasant leader
- Social and community leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Economic, social and cultural rights
- Indigenous peoples’ rights
HRD's geographical origin
Rural
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
(AI translated) Higinio Bustos Navarro is a member of the Nahuatl indigenous community. He is a staunch advocate for the human right to self-determination, for indigenous peoples’ rights to territory, and for a dignified life. He is a recognized leader and member of the National Front for the Struggle for Socialism (FNLS), an organization that fights for the human right to a decent life, against forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the release of political prisoners in Mexico.
Born on January 11, 1963, he is currently 62 years old. He resides in the community of Tepetzintla, in the municipality of Huautla, state of Hidalgo. In 2019, he applied for a certification from the National Electoral Institute; however, according to Mexican authorities, he was at that time considered a fugitive. It is worth noting that Higinio Bustos was unaware that he was subject to a preliminary judicial investigation in Mexico regarding a homicide that occurred in 2008.
Arbitrary Detention
May 3, 2021
On May 3, 2021, at 4:30 pm, Higinio Bustos Navarro was arbitrarily detained at the intersection of the Huautla-Terrerillos road and the San Sebastián Chicontepec road, in the municipality of Chicontepec, state of Veracruz. Agents from the State of Veracruz Attorney General’s Office arrested him without presenting any arrest warrant or stating the reasons for his detention. According to reports, “around twelve agents, dressed in civilian clothes and armed with firearms, forced him to get out of the vehicle he was riding in, handcuffed him, and took him into a white pickup truck.” They only informed him that he would be transferred to the Tantoyuca Attorney’s Office in Veracruz; however, in reality, he was taken to the Tantoyuca Social Reintegration Center.
The human rights organization Comité Cerezo México issued an Urgent Action Report AU-02/Ver/FNLS-03/05/2021, denouncing this arbitrary detention and expressing concern for Higinio Bustos Navarro’s physical and psychological well-being.
Detained since
May 3, 2021
Charge(s)
- Other
Sentence
(AI translated) January 3, 2024
Judge Ana María de la Barrera Jiménez, from the Tantoyuca District’s Joint First-Instance Court in Veracruz, sentenced Higinio Bustos to 20 years in prison.
Latitude: 20.96967967530663
Longitude: -98.15061470120945
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean
Location of detention - City/Town
Municipio de Chicontepec, Veracruz
Location of detention - Facility
Centro de Readaptación Social de Chicontepec, Veracruz
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
(AI translated) During his detention in 2023, he was punished by being sent to a prison for 10 hours, with the aim of separating him from his family and organization members. On February 20, 2026, he was transferred to the Chicontepec prison, which was closer to his family.
Recent case update / evolution
(AI translated) Appeal
July 4, 2024
The judges—Rosa Alma Flores Ceballos, as a member of the panel; Anita Gutiérrez Zapata, acting as secretary of the court in her capacity as a judge; and Ailett García Cayetano, the presiding judge of the Fifth Specialized Criminal Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of Veracruz—confirmed the 20-year prison sentence imposed on Higinio Bustos.
Direct Protection Appeal
December 1, 2025
Through his legal defense team, Higinio Bustos Navarro filed a Direct Protection Appeal, requesting the Supreme Court of Justice to intervene due to what he alleged were constitutional violations by the Mexican state that had led to his unjust imprisonment.
April 25, 2026
The Second Criminal Court of the Seventh Circuit, located in Boca del Río, Veracruz, accepted the protection appeal filed by Higinio Bustos Navarro against the unjust sentence confirmed by the Fifth Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of Veracruz.
Any other relevant documents
(AI translated) The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued Opinion 41/2024, determining that Higinio Bustos Navarro, an indigenous Nahuatl leader and member of the National Front for the Struggle for Socialism, is being held arbitrarily and should be released immediately.
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4078644/files/A_HRC_WGAD_2024_41-EN.pdf
Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Ref.: AL MEX 3/2025
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=29838
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1963
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- Peasant leader
- Social and community leader
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Economic, social and cultural rights
- Indigenous peoples’ rights
- Organization affiliation
- Frente Nacional de Lucha por el Socialismo (FNLS)
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
(AI translated) Higinio Bustos Navarro is a member of the Nahuatl indigenous community. He is a staunch advocate for the human right to self-determination, for indigenous peoples’ rights to territory, and for a dignified life. He is a recognized leader and member of the National Front for the Struggle for Socialism (FNLS), an organization that fights for the human right to a decent life, against forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the release of political prisoners in Mexico.
Born on January 11, 1963, he is currently 62 years old. He resides in the community of Tepetzintla, in the municipality of Huautla, state of Hidalgo. In 2019, he applied for a certification from the National Electoral Institute; however, according to Mexican authorities, he was at that time considered a fugitive. It is worth noting that Higinio Bustos was unaware that he was subject to a preliminary judicial investigation in Mexico regarding a homicide that occurred in 2008.
Arbitrary Detention
May 3, 2021
On May 3, 2021, at 4:30 pm, Higinio Bustos Navarro was arbitrarily detained at the intersection of the Huautla-Terrerillos road and the San Sebastián Chicontepec road, in the municipality of Chicontepec, state of Veracruz. Agents from the State of Veracruz Attorney General’s Office arrested him without presenting any arrest warrant or stating the reasons for his detention. According to reports, “around twelve agents, dressed in civilian clothes and armed with firearms, forced him to get out of the vehicle he was riding in, handcuffed him, and took him into a white pickup truck.” They only informed him that he would be transferred to the Tantoyuca Attorney’s Office in Veracruz; however, in reality, he was taken to the Tantoyuca Social Reintegration Center.
The human rights organization Comité Cerezo México issued an Urgent Action Report AU-02/Ver/FNLS-03/05/2021, denouncing this arbitrary detention and expressing concern for Higinio Bustos Navarro’s physical and psychological well-being.
- HRD's geographical origin
- Rural
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean
- Location of detention - City/Town
- Municipio de Chicontepec, Veracruz
- Location of detention - Facility
- Centro de Readaptación Social de Chicontepec, Veracruz
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 20.96967967530663
Longitude: -98.15061470120945
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- May 3, 2021
- Current Status
- In prison (sentenced)
- Charge(s)
- Other
- Sentence
(AI translated) January 3, 2024
Judge Ana María de la Barrera Jiménez, from the Tantoyuca District’s Joint First-Instance Court in Veracruz, sentenced Higinio Bustos to 20 years in prison.
- Recent case update / evolution
(AI translated) Appeal
July 4, 2024
The judges—Rosa Alma Flores Ceballos, as a member of the panel; Anita Gutiérrez Zapata, acting as secretary of the court in her capacity as a judge; and Ailett García Cayetano, the presiding judge of the Fifth Specialized Criminal Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of Veracruz—confirmed the 20-year prison sentence imposed on Higinio Bustos.Direct Protection Appeal
December 1, 2025
Through his legal defense team, Higinio Bustos Navarro filed a Direct Protection Appeal, requesting the Supreme Court of Justice to intervene due to what he alleged were constitutional violations by the Mexican state that had led to his unjust imprisonment.April 25, 2026
The Second Criminal Court of the Seventh Circuit, located in Boca del Río, Veracruz, accepted the protection appeal filed by Higinio Bustos Navarro against the unjust sentence confirmed by the Fifth Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State of Veracruz.
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
(AI translated) During his detention in 2023, he was punished by being sent to a prison for 10 hours, with the aim of separating him from his family and organization members. On February 20, 2026, he was transferred to the Chicontepec prison, which was closer to his family.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Any other relevant documents
(AI translated) The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued Opinion 41/2024, determining that Higinio Bustos Navarro, an indigenous Nahuatl leader and member of the National Front for the Struggle for Socialism, is being held arbitrarily and should be released immediately.
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4078644/files/A_HRC_WGAD_2024_41-EN.pdfMandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Ref.: AL MEX 3/2025
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=29838
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
sorted by
Date added
4 relationships, 3 entities