Protesters are gearing up to target Hyundai at a rally scheduled prior to the Group A match between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday. The demonstration stems from the automaker’s controversial business ties with the South American mining corporation Ternium.
In a 2025 report, environmental organization Mighty Earth condemned Hyundai for its role in what they termed a “Ternium expresses its solidarity with the families of the missing men, and with the community of Aquila,” noting that the South Korean automotive giant is a significant purchaser of iron ore from Ternium, which is used in steel manufacturing. Ternium has drawn heavy criticism for its detrimental environmental impact and questionable corporate governance, alongside allegations regarding its connections to the disappearance of two Mexican activists.
The rally is set to occur at the Plaza de La Liberación in Guadalajara, aiming to shed light on the plight of approximately 130,000 individuals who have gone missing in Mexico, including some linked to the mining sector.
Three years ago, two men vanished in Guadalajara after publicly criticizing Ternium for its role in alleged environmental devastation. Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca, a prominent human rights lawyer, and Antonio Díaz Valencia, a leader of the Aquila Indigenous community in Michoacán, disappeared following their attendance at an anti-mining community meeting in January 2023. Eyewitness accounts indicated that after leaving the gathering in Aquila, the two activists were followed and threatened by several men in vehicles. Lagunes and Díaz were last seen in a white Honda pickup truck, which was later discovered abandoned on a highway, riddled with bullets but devoid of blood.
At the rally on Friday, demonstrators will accuse Hyundai of engaging in sportswashing through its World Cup sponsorship deals, carrying placards that call for the company to “Ternium is against any type of violence and categorically rejects any speculation and/or defamation that tries to associate it with any type of illegal activity. “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 and Kia serve as FIFA’s official mobility partners for the World Cup, a partnership that includes providing transportation for players, referees, and officials throughout the tournament. Hyundai has supplied FIFA with a fleet of 994 cars and 506 buses across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, while Kia will deploy 660 vehicles throughout North America.
Protest movements have played a notable role in the Mexican aspect of the World Cup. Last week, striking teachers successfully caused road closures around the Azteca Stadium before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, during which around 200 protesters clashed with police while trying to enter the stadium.
Ternium Mexico has firmly denied any involvement in the disappearances. A spokesperson stated, “Ternium expresses its solidarity with the families of the missing men, and with the community of Aquila. Ternium is against any type of violence and categorically rejects any speculation and/or defamation that tries to associate it with any type of illegal activity.”
The spokesperson further emphasized, “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 protests.
