Statement Regarding the Judicial Ruling in Favor of the Sacred Site of Wirikuta

Statement Regarding the Judicial Ruling in Favor of the Sacred Site of Wirikuta

Tateikié, San Andrés Cohamiata, Jalisco

April 18, 2026

To the National and International Civil Society

To the Government of Mexico

To the News Media

Greetings—

The Union of Ceremonial Centers of Jalisco, Durango, and Nayarit—an organization legally constituted since 2006 that works in conjunction with ceremonial and family centers for the rescue, protection, preservation, respect, defense, development, and strengthening of the historical continuity of the Wixárika people's culture—issues the following statement regarding the recent ruling by the Federal Courts.

The Fourth District Court of San Luis Potosí has issued a final judgment regarding the injunction 819/2011-VI, dated March 11, 2026. This resolution renders null and void the mining concessions within the sacred site of Wirikuta—meaning it has been determined that they lack validity—marking a major legal achievement for the defense of the kiekari territory and biocultural heritage. The key points of the resolution are:

• Cancellation of Concessions: It is ordered that the titles for 44 mining concessions granted within the sacred site of Wirikuta be rendered without effect;
• Recognition of Damages: It is recognized that mining activity in sacred sites directly impacts the self-determination, natural resources, and cultural territory where the Wixárika people undertake their pilgrimages;
• Lack of Consultation: It is confirmed that these concessions were granted illegally, in omission of the constitutional right to prior, free, informed, and good-faith consultation.

We, the Wixárika Union, celebrate this resolution and offer our RECOGNITION to those who made this achievement possible; to this end, we express our profound gratitude to the WIXÁRIKA REGIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENSE OF WIRIKUTA. Thanks to your efforts and your commitment to our Wixárika brethren and to our deities, today we are closer to ensuring that our sacred site, Wirikuta (the territory of our deities), is protected, as well as to the full exercise of our rights as legal subjects.

Likewise, we extend this recognition to the traditional, civil, and agrarian authorities of the communities, as they stood firm in protecting our sacred places and sites, and in preserving the hikuri (peyote) and the sacred spring water.

However, we know that the struggle is not over; therefore, we reiterate our commitment to join forces and achieve the cancellation of the 23 mining concessions that remain in effect. Any mining activity places at risk the ecological balance—including the water, flora, and fauna—as well as the sacred sites that sustain our spirituality, and the health and lives of the inhabitants of the ejido communal lands of Wirikuta.

Finally, we issue a respectful yet firm appeal to the President of Mexico, Dr. CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM PARDO, to direct the effective fulfillment of the international commitments that protect our territory—including International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples—as well as the recommendations issued by UNESCO following the inscription of the Wirikuta Pilgrimage Route as a World Heritage Site (July 12, 2025), which mandates an absolute prohibition on any mining activities that would compromise our sacred sites.

Sincerely,

C. Florencio López Carrillo (President), Rubén López De la Cruz (Vice-President), Valentín Flores Domínguez (Secretary), Esteban Daniel de la Crus (Treasurer)