On Thursday, 11 July, Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium will host the official opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a global event that will draw the attention of millions of people around the world to the Mexican capital. Against this backdrop, various social movements and organizations in the country—such as searching mothers and teachers’ collectives demanding high-quality public education, among others—have identified a strategic opportunity to bring international attention to their worthy struggles and raise awareness about issues affecting the entire country.

Given the troubling context of polarization in the country, we are concerned that, in response to the legitimate and necessary expressions of protest and denunciation by these movements—whose demands and grievances we share, and whose initiative to march we celebrate and support—various right-wing and far-right groups, acting in the service of anti-rights interests and agendas, are mobilizing to exploit the demonstrations in order to provoke situations of violence and confrontation that contribute to the political destabilization of the country and pave the way for reactionary and even fascist political ideologies.

Given the complexity of the situation that could take place in Mexico City, the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico and IM-Defensoras urgently call on:

• the Mexico City authorities, and particularly the security forces: to fully respect the right to protest and, if faced with any situation of conflict or violence, to act through dialogue with social movements and guaranteeing human rights.

• the public: to understand that the struggles of groups such as the searching mothers and teachers, among others, are a source of dignity and hope for the country’s future; that the lives of the thousands of disappeared persons and the right to free high-quality education are matters of concern for the entire nation.

• the international community: to remain vigilant regarding the situation and not to be swayed by biased or misleading information that overlooks the complexity of the context and seeks only to exploit the situation for political gain and pave the way for the far right.

• our sister defenders, their organizations and social movements: to adopt collective protection measures and embody support for each other in the face of potential acts of repression, provocation or violence by state and non-state actors, both in the physical and digital spheres. The National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico remains on alert.

The World Cup is an event that undoubtedly excites many who enjoy this popular sport; it also highlights the huge economic interests and the growing accumulation of wealth and influence by various powerful groups. The attention the event generates makes it legitimate and understandable that a segment of the Mexican population—the one most harmed by the policies of death that these same powers have been imposing on the country for decades—would take the opportunity to bring their issues and demands to light, a move we welcome and support.