Protesters are gearing up to target Hyundai at a rally ahead of the Group A match between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara this Thursday. The demonstration is spurred by concerns over the South Korean automaker’s connections with the South American mining company Ternium.
A 2025 report from the environmental organization Mighty Earth condemned Hyundai’s role in what they label a “Ternium expresses its solidarity with the families of the missing men, and with the community of Aquila,” as the company is a significant purchaser of iron ore from Ternium for its steel production. Ternium has drawn heavy criticism for its environmental practices and governance issues, as well as its alleged ties to the disappearance of two activists in Mexico.
The rally is scheduled to occur at Plaza de La Liberación, aiming to raise awareness about the plight of Mexico’s estimated 130,000 missing persons, some of whom were employed in the mining sector.
Three years prior, two men vanished in Guadalajara after voicing criticism of Ternium for its alleged contribution to the destruction of rural areas. Prominent human rights lawyer Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca and Antonio Díaz Valencia, the head of the Aquila Indigenous community in Michoacán, disappeared following an anti-mining meeting in January 2023. Eyewitnesses reported that they were pursued by several men in vehicles after leaving the gathering in Aquila, heading towards Colima. Their white Honda pickup truck was later discovered abandoned on a roadside, marked by bullet holes but devoid of blood.
The upcoming protest on Friday will accuse Hyundai of engaging in sportswashing through its World Cup sponsorship agreements, with demonstrators expected to hold signs demanding the company sever ties with Ternium. Hyundai and Kia serve as FIFA’s official mobility partners for the tournament, tasked with providing transportation for players, referees, and officials. The automaker has delivered a fleet of 994 cars and 506 buses across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while Kia is set to deploy 660 vehicles throughout North America.
Protest movements have played a notable role in the Mexican leg of the World Cup. Recently, striking teachers succeeded in causing road closures around the Azteca Stadium prior to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, where approximately 200 demonstrators clashed with police in an attempt to enter the venue.
“We always operate within the law and with a broad sense of social responsibility. Ternium is a leading public company in the manufacture of steel in Latin America, which operates transparently and under the highest standards of control in all its operations.”
Hyundai has opted not to comment on the planned protests.
