The National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico condemns that armed attack that took place on 29 August 2026 in Culiacán, where armed men shot at the vehicle in which Alma Rosa Rojo Medina – founder of the collective Voces Unidas por la Vida – was traveling with her daughter and two minors. Alma Rosa and her daughter were wounded by the bullets. All of them were taken to the hospital under guard.

Alma Rosa began her work as a searcher after the disappearance of her brother Miguel Ángel Rojo in 2009, and she has since accompanied families searching for disappeared persons in Sinaloa. She is also part of Unión y Red Nacional de Búsqueda. The attack took place on the eve of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, illustrating the risks that searching women defenders face in Mexico.

We believe this attack to be an attempted femicide and a serious violation of the right to defend human rights. In this regard, we make a respectful yet firm appeal to the relevant authorities to:

- Implement urgent effective protection measures for Alma Rosa, her family and the Voces Unidas por la Vida collective.

- Conduct a thorough investigation with an intersectional gender perspective, treating the case as attempted femicide and taking into account the direct link between the attack and her work as a searcher.

- Guarantee the collective protection of searching women defenders in Sinaloa, ensuring security during search activities and community accompaniment.

- Provide specialized medical and psycho-emotional treatment for Alma Rosa, her daughter and the affected two minors.

We reiterate the urgent need for the Mexican government to fulfil its international obligations, guarantee justice and comprehensive protection, and ensure that the work of searching for disappeared persons can be conducted safely, without threats or attacks.