Hermosillo, Mexico, Jan 10 (EFE).- The Attorney General\u2019s Office of the Mexican state of Sonora announced Wednesday that it is investigating the femicide of the governor of the Cucapah ethnic group, Aronia Wilson Tambo, and that it has a suspect in custody.<\/p>
The crime occurred on Tuesday in the binational indigenous community of Pozas of Arvizu, in the municipality of San Luis R\u00edo Colorado, next to the border wall between Sonora and Arizona (United States), in northwestern Mexico.<\/p>
The preliminary expert report dismissed the connection between the crime and the Indigenous leader\u2019s political or social activities.<\/p>
The investigation is now focusing on femicide, the murder of women and girls because of their gender.<\/p>
Aronia, 64, was a city councilor, but also a defender of the culture and traditions of the Cucapah people and one of the few speakers of their language.<\/p>
\u201cIt has been established as a working hypothesis that the crime is related to her personal environment and the line of investigation points to her immediate circle,\u201d the prosecutor\u2019s office reported.<\/p>
According to the police report, her body was found under some burned clothing, and the Public Ministry affirmed that the alleged killer tried to burn the body to hide the evidence.<\/p>
\u201cThe investigating authority has detained a person of interest and is investigating his possible participation in the events, waiting for various testimonies and expert examinations to be revealed,\u201d added the Public Prosecutor\u2019s office.<\/p>
The Cucapah community, which lives on both sides of the border, expressed its dismay on social media.<\/p>
\u201cWe are saddened to announce the death of Elder Aronia Wilson Tambo, leader of the Cucapah community in Pozas de Arvizu, who fought to keep the Cucapah tradition and language alive in her community,\u201d the message read.<\/p>
According to the Sonora Code of Criminal Procedure, authorities must treat the murder of a woman as a femicide throughout the investigation.<\/p>
The Cucapah community belongs to the group of Yuman peoples. They live in Mexicali in Baja California, in San Luis R\u00edo Colorado in Sonora, and in Somerton in southwestern Arizona, all close to the border between Mexico and the US. EFE<\/p>
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