Killing of Samir Flores Soberanes

Samir Flores Soberanes was born on 2 August 1982 in the locality of , in the municipality of Temoac, Morelos. Raised in a farming family, he pursued studies in computer science and completed one year of law school. Flores Soberanes was actively involved in local politics, regularly participating in community and assemblies, and he supported initiatives within the state's public education system. He was married to Liliana Velázquez, with whom he had four children. Career and activism The Mexican federal government launched the (; PIM), a long-term infrastructure initiative formalized in 2012. The project aimed to expand electricity generation in the country's central region and included the construction of two thermoelectric power plants in the community of Huexca, located in Yecapixtla, Morelos. It also involved the development of a gas pipeline traversing the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla, and Morelos, an electrical transmission line connecting to the Yautepec substation, and an aqueduct in Cuautla. Flores Soberanes became an outspoken critic of the project, citing the environmental harm it posed to his community. Flores Soberanes actively defended the communal lands and natural resources of Amilcingo, opposing efforts to privatize areas containing ahuehuete trees. He was also a member of the Permanent Assembly of the People of Morelos (), a grassroots organization critical of the project, and the National Indigenous Congress. == Killing and investigation ==

Days before his death, Flores Soberanes had taken part in protests against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who had scheduled a public consultation for 23 and 24 February 2019 to decide the future of the project. López Obrador had previously promised in 2014 that, if elected president, he would cancel the project, stating: "How can you build a thermoelectric plant in Zapata's homeland, the greatest social leader Mexico has ever had? It's like putting a nuclear plant in Jerusalem. We will defend the people, no matter what." Following the protests, López Obrador referred to the opposition as "conservative left-wing radicals". On 19 February, Flores Soberanes attended an informational assembly in the town of Jonacatepec concerning the infrastructure projects he opposed. The event was led by Hugo Eric Flores Cervantes, the federal government's delegate in the state of Morelos. During the assembly, Flores Soberanes challenged the accuracy of the information being presented, describing the consultation as a simulation and accusing the government of promoting a disinformation campaign. Witnesses saw him arguing with Flores Cervantes and other officials at the event. The following morning around 5:30 a.m., Flores Soberanes was shot and killed outside his home by three unidentified individuals. According to Governor Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Carmona knew who killed Flores Soberanes, but "he doesn't want to say it out of fear" because "there are many people involved". In February 2025, the murder remained under investigation. The person arrested in 2021 was acquitted in March 2026. One suspect was reported to have been killed, while another disappeared. Reactions and legacy |alt=A sculpture on a plinth. bears the phrase "Justice. Samir is Seed" in Spanish, honoring his memory.|alt=A door painted with multiple corn plants. The organization (People's Front in Defense of Water and Land) called on the Attorney General of Mexico to investigate Lavín, Blanco, Carmona, Flores Cervantes, and former governor Graco Ramírez for their alleged involvement. They also requested an investigation into President López Obrador for his repeated attacks in speeches against those opposing the PIM. In a joint statement, the National Indigenous Congress, the Indigenous Governing Council, and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation blamed the "bad government and its masters, which are the corporations and their legal and illegal armed groups, who seek to rob us, bring us death, and extinguish the lights that give us hope". López Obrador called the murder "vile and cowardly" and stated that the consultation would proceed as planned because "perhaps one of the intentions was to disrupt its execution". Flores Cervantes denied any involvement in the murder. In August 2019, a school in Amilcingo where Flores Soberanes had taught organic agriculture and communication sciences was renamed in his memory. He had also been opposed to its demolition after the 2017 Puebla earthquake. A bust was unveiled at the site on the first anniversary of his death. The next day, demonstrators installed a replica in Mexico City's Zócalo, mounted on a concrete plinth. Another was placed at Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, in February 2025. == References ==