Activists staged memorial vigils for Jyri Jaakkola both in Helsinki and in his home town of Turku. In the Finnish capital, activists gathered outside the Mexican Embassy. An Amnesty International representative demanded the Mexican government should thoroughly investigate the Finnish activist's death.
Jyri Jaakkola was working in Mexico as a human rights inspector. He died when an armed paramilitary group attacked their convoy of vehicles earlier this week.
The convoy had been due to arrive at the village of San Juan Copala in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. The village has been at the center of a long-running dispute, between the indigenous Triqui group and authorities.
Activists were attempting to deliver supplies of food, clothes and blankets to the tribe.
Official note
Finland has sent an official note to Mexico demanding a full investigation of the event that led to the shooting of human rights activist Jyri Jaakkola. In addition, it contains a condemnation the violence and demands that those responsible are brought to trial.
The Finnish Embassy in Mexico has conveyed the same demands to the Secretary General and the Interior Minister of the state of Oaxaca. So far, local authorities have not provided information as to which of the armed groups active in the area is responsible for the killing.
Jaakkola’s stay in Mexico was linked in part with preparation of a development cooperation project for which the non-governmental organization Uusi Tuuli ry has been granted support by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Uusi Tuuli is planning cooperation with the organization Universidad de la Tierra (Unitierra), aimed at raising self-sufficiency, improving the quality of nutrition and increasing market access while at the same time preserving the food culture and food production traditions of the indigenous peoples.