Category Archives: Human Rights abuses

A Decade Without A Single Public Official Guilty Of The Crime Of Torture (Animal Politico)

Thanks to Patrick for this translation of an Animal Político story about torture in Mexico. Not a single English-speaking journalist has covered the visit to Mexico of the Special Rapporteur on Torture. The article points out Mexico’s failure to investigate, prosecute, and punish serious human rights violations.

This article was published on 24 April 2014 in AnimalPolítico. It has been translated without permission for the Mexican Journalism Translation Project (MxJTP).

Human Rights Abuse in Mexico: A Decade Without a Single Public Official Guilty of the Crime of Torture

By Tania L. Montalvo (ANIMALPOLÍTCO)

– Investigations Exist but no Punishment for Public Officials in either Military or Civilian Jurisdictions

Over the past decade — and in response to public information requests — figures provided by the Federal Attorney General (PGR) and the Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) show that not a single official has been published for the crime of torture, neither in civil nor military jurisdictions.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

A Voice From The Grave: Juárez, The Border’s Second Murder City (Armando Rodríguez, El Diario…)

A Voice From The Grave: Juárez, The Border’s Second Murder City

This article was first published in El Diario de Juárez on 14 February 2005. It has been translated without permission by the Mexican Journalism Translation Project (MxJTP). There is no web-accessible version of the Spanish-language original.

This translation is dedicated to the work of journalist Sandra Rodríguez Nieto.

Translator’s Note: Armando Rodríguez Carreón, “El Choco,” was a veteran crime reporter for El Diario de Juárez until his violent murder in November 2008. You can read a portrait of El Choco by his colleague Martín Orquiz for Nuestra Aparente Rendición, here (unofficially translated into English for the MxJTP).

Rodríguez’s murder continues in impunity, with multiple failures in the investigation. El Choco’s unsolved case is one that marks Mexico as infamous for its inability, or unwillingness, to get to the bottom of journalist’s murders, meaning that it ranks number 7 on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Impunity Index for 2014. In the Inter-American System of Human Rights, and pursuant to Mexico’s 1998 ratification of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR), the state has the international responsibility to investigate, prosecute, and punish human rights abuses: among other human rights violations, Armando Rodríguez and his family have been denied access to justice for his murder, implying the state’s violation of a human rights treaty, the ACHR, it has ratified.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Mexican Rights Body: 89% of Attacks on Journalists Go Unpunished

Further evidence of Open Season, no bag limit, on MX journalists. And no drivers on the horizon to reverse direction. If anything, we can see more sanctioned scrubbing to polish the Pena/PRI image.

Mexican Rights Body: 89% of Attacks on Journalists Go Unpunished

MEXICO CITY – Some 89 percent of the attacks on journalists in Mexico go unpunished because authorities do not investigate the cases, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said.

Only about 19 percent of cases involving the killings and disappearances of journalists, as well as attacks on media outlets, end up in the hands of a judge, the CNDH said in a statement.

Suspects go to trial in just 11 percent of cases and barely 10 percent of judicial proceedings end with a conviction, “producing an impunity rate of 89 percent,” said the CNDH, Mexico’s equivalent of an ombudsman’s office.

Prosecutors are failing to investigate and gather evidence to clear up crimes against members of the media, “such as murders, disappearances, attacks, injuries, threats and intimidation, among others,” the CNDH said, adding that it made a recommendation in this area in August 2013.

Between Jan. 1, 2010, and Feb. 28, 2014, 347 complaints were received about violations of the human rights of members of the media, the CNDH said.

A total of 88 journalists and other members of the media have been murdered since 2000, “presumably, for reasons related to their work,” the rights body said…

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

HRW Research on Custom and Border Protection Officer Abuses: Info Request

Dear Listmates,

Human Rights Watch is investigating allegations of discriminatory and or abusive treatment by Customs and Border Protection Officers, including the Border Patrol and port of entry agents, in the borderlands and at border crossings.  We are interested in highlighting in particular the effects of border enforcement practices on border communities on the northern and southern borders.

We would greatly appreciate your assistance in identifying cases and affected individuals or their representatives who would be interested in participating in the research. The description of the project is pasted below and in this  flyer. Please share widely, and please contact me if you have any suggestions or questions.

Thank you very much,

Clara

Clara Long

Researcher, US Program 

Human Rights Watch

100 Bush St. Ste. 925

San Francisco, CA 94104

+1 (415) 527 0212 (work)

+1 (510) 882-0900 (Cell)

longc@hrw.org

http://www.hrw.org/en/united-states

 

Human Rights Watch is interested in speaking with people who have personal stories or direct knowledge of discriminatory, abusive, intimidating, or unlawful treatment or practices by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in the border region (the Border Patrol) and at border crossings (Office of Field Operations).

 

We are interested in cases involving both US citizens and non-citizens.   We are also seeking information about agency accountability for abuses, including the efficacy of CBP complaint mechanisms.

 

Human Rights Watch is an international, independent nonprofit organization that defends the rights of people worldwide. We cannot provide legal representation in any individual case, but our goal is to publish these accounts in a report and to ensure anyone interacting with federal immigration and border enforcement agencies is treated in a manner that respects their human rights.

 

We plan to conduct interviews along the northern and southern borders or by phone. If you would like to keep your identity confidential, we can change your name and any identifying details.

 

For more information on this project, please visit our Facebook page For more information on our ongoing and past work on protecting the human rights of immigrants and their families in the United States, please see our website

**Español**

Human Rights Watch desea contactar a personas que tengan historias personales o conocimiento directo de trato discriminatorio, abusivo, intimidatorio o ilegal por parte de agentes de la oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) a lo largo de la franja fronteriza (Border Patrol) y en los puertos de control de la frontera (Office of Field Operations).

 

Estamos interesados tanto en casos de ciudadanos, como de no ciudadanos estadounidenses. También deseamos obtener información sobre los procesos de rendición de cuentas por abusos y la eficacia de los mecanismos de denuncia por parte de la oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza.

 

Human Rights Watch es una organización sin fines de lucro internacional e independiente que defiende los derechos humanos de las personas en todo el mundo. Nuestra organización no ofrece representación legal en caso individual, pero nuestro objetivo es exigir cambios en la legislación y las políticas estadounidenses para garantizar que todos las personas sean tratadas con respeto a sus derechos humanos por parte de la oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza.

 

Si desea compartir su experiencia o conocimiento de casos particulares o si tiene alguna pregunta envíe un correo electrónico o llame a Clara Long, investigadora del Programa de EE.UU.

Clara Long

Human Rights Watch

100 Bush St. Ste 925

San Francisco, CA 94107

longc@hrw.org

510-882-0900

 

Nuestra intención es llevar a cabo entrevistas en toda la region fronteriza o por telefono. Si desea mantener en el anonimato su identidad estamos en la mejor disposición de cambiar su nombre y datos personales de identificación.

Para obtener más información sobre este proyecto, por favor visite nuestro Facebook página.  Para obtener más información sobre nuestro trabajo en curso o nuestros proyectos anteriores en materia de protección de los derechos humanos de los inmigrantes y sus familias en los Estados Unidos, por favor visite nuestro sitio web en inglés o en español

 

 

Uruapan, Michoacan…7 bodies displayed in public park…

Early Sunday I saw the notice in El Diario that 7 men had been found dead in Uruapan, Michoacan. Later that afternoon, the report was expanded and the photographs appeared–the seven men were displayed in the grassy area of a traffic circle, sitting in white plastic chairs, shot in the head and with posters displaying messages:
Cartulinas said, “Warning, this is going to happen to all muggers, pickpockets, thieves of cars, homes and pedestrians, kidnappers, rapists and extortionists.”
And variations on that theme… Several of the dead have been identified and they are small-time thieves and beggars.  Hmmm.  Meanwhile, Proceso reported that the Secretary of Government of the state of Michoacan told the media that they should not magnify the multiple execution in Uruapan without being sure to put it into context and explain that it was related to narcotrafficking. Otherwise, the incident would be used to say something bad might be happening in Uruapan.  Did anyone think to ask how such a work of “installation art” could be completed without the help (or at the least the non-interference) of authorities?
And perhaps I am mixing up too much here, but today there was a long AP article reporting on the involvement of the Honduran police in death squads involved with social cleansing…all paid for by the US.But this incident seems a clear case of social cleansing. Also, there have been many articles lately in both Mexican and US press noting the growth of  vigilante groups. Most of the articles present this as a positive development.  And this was not the only multiple homicide reported today in Mexico… More to follow… molly

In Mexico, Self-Defense Groups Move to Fill Security Vacuum–World Politics Review

At least the term “social cleansing” is being mentioned.
“Things like land grabs or social cleansing [in Mexico], we haven’t heard of that yet. But it’s only a matter of time in my view,” Isacson warned, explaining that there is not a check on the power of such groups in Mexico. “There is no state. There is no one there to punish you if you overstep your authority.” 
But it is not true that it is not occurring YET in Mexico.  President Calderon himself has said it. And human rights activists in Chihuahua first mentioned it back in 2009.  I do not know if all of these articles are still online, but they are archived in the frontera list.
Here are just a few where social cleansing is mentioned as being a very important factor in the huge numbers of killings. molly

Mexico’s Disappeared: the Enduring Cost of a Crisis Ignored–Human Rights Watch

Mexico’s Disappeared: the Enduring Cost of a Crisis Ignored

Human Rights Watch is pleased to invite you to Casa Lamm in Mexico City on Thursday, February 21, 2013, at 10:15 a.m. for the launch of a new report on the human rights situation in Mexico. 

What: Release of Human Rights Watch report on Mexico

Who: José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch 
Nik Steinberg, Mexico researcher at Human Rights Watch

When: Thursday, February 21, 2013, at 10:15 a.m.

Where: Casa Lamm, Room Espacio Visual
Álvaro Obregón 99, Roma Norte
Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Mexico City


For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Mexico, click here


For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
In Mexico City, José Miguel Vivanco (English, Spanish): +52-1-55-5450-4934 (mobile); or vivancj@hrw.org
In Mexico City, Nik Steinberg (English, Spanish): +52-1-55-1578-1277 (mobile); or steinbn@hrw.org
Please RSVP to: dambolm@hrw.org; or +1-202-612-4335
Note to journalists: The full report is embargoed until the news conference. The news conference will be held in Spanish. Complimentary copies of the report in English and Spanish will be available.

 

***Conferencia de prensa***
Los Desaparecidos de México: El persistente costo de una crisis ignorada


Human Rights Watch tiene el agrado de invitarle a la presentación de un nuevo informe sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en México en Casa Lamm a las 10:15 a.m. el próximo jueves 21 de febrero.

Evento: Lanzamiento de nuevo informe de Human Rights Watch sobre México
Expositores: José Miguel Vivanco, Director para las Américas de Human Rights Watch
                      Nik Steinberg, Experto a cargo de México de Human Rights Watch
Fecha: Jueves 21 de febrero de 2013, 10:15 hrs
Lugar: Casa Lamm, Salón Espacio Visual
Álvaro Obregón 99, Roma Norte
Cuauhtémoc, 06700 DF, México
Para mayor información sobre el trabajo de Human Rights Watch sobre México, por favor diríjase aqui.


Para obtener más información, comuníquese con las siguientes personas:
En México D.F., José Miguel Vivanco (inglés, español): + 1-202-612-4335 (oficina); + 52-1-55-5450-4934(celular); vivancj@hrw.org
En México D.F., Nik Steinberg (inglés, español): +52-1-55-1578-1277 (celular); steinbn@hrw.org
Por favor confirme su asistencia a: dambolm@hrw.org; o +1-202-612-4335
Nota para periodistas: El informe está embargado hasta la conferencia de prensa. La conferencia de prensa se llevará a cabo en español. Habrá copias disponibles del informe en inglés y español.
 

Mexico’s drug cartels target journalists in brutal killing spree…Observer

I admire a lot of Ed Vulliamy’s reporting from Mexico, but based on known research that has been posted repeatedly on this list and elsewhere, it is just WRONG to repeat the number of Mexican dead as “60,000 since 2006.” That number MAY have been true 2 years ago and the killings have only increased since.  And these numbers are not wild estimates from human rights groups. These are the hardest numbers available from Mexican agencies: INEGI and SNSP. Jim Creechan and I have posted and published these numbers often in the past few months.  Mexican journalists have also written estimates from 100,000–150,000 dead in Calderon’s sexenio. LE MONDE, the major French newspaper, reported 120,000 back in August.  What kind of data do the mainstream English-language press require to update their reports of the death toll from homicide in Mexico?

I would also note again the unquestioned reporting of the government line as to who (or what) is behind the killings of journalists in Veracruz.  This report mentions the killing of Miguel Angel Lopez Velasco in 2011, but ignores the testimony of his surviving son, Miguel Angel Lopez Solana, who implicates the state government and the military in the slaughter of his family. The reason Miguel Jr. is seeking political asylum in the United States is because criminal organizations working in tandem with corrupt government entities murdered his family and will come after him also as they have subsequently murdered many of his colleagues in Veracruz.
His story is told here and much of it is in his own words.
In this passage highlighted below from the Observer article, why believe a note left by supposed Zetas when there is eyewitness testimony that the note was not there when the body is first discovered? Apparently, it is only after the police and marines come to investigate that a note from Zetas appears:

Apart from the barbarism of his killing, Víctor Báez’s death bore another hallmark of a narco execution: a note pinned to his torso, this one reading: “Here’s what happens to traitors and people who act clever. Sincerely, the Zetas.” But Báez’s colleague says that he learned from the marines “that the note was not there when the body was discovered by a neighbour who found Víctor’s door open – it was put there later… by someone, for some reason”.

Compare this information with the similar account of one of the most spectacular massacres officially attributed to Zetas also in Veracruz. News reports in REFORMA (a conservative paper affiliated with the PAN government) at the time said that the bodies bore hallmarks of military-style torture. Family members of some of the victims proved that their dead relatives (most of them young men and women) had no criminal records and no involvement in any criminal activity. In fact, there was evidence that they had been picked up at random, tortured, killed and dumped in Veracruz with messages penned on their bodies supposedly from Zetas…  These stories have been cited in published articles and also posted in full on this list and elsewhere. Feel free to search for them or ask me and I can repost if necessary.  molly
Scores of journalists have died in a country gripped by violence that has claimed an estimated 60,000 lives since 2006

 

Response to: On Drug War Violence Along Texas Border…. via Huffington Post

I wish that the people who write these stories would consider the statement from many years ago from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan:

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

It is also interesting that the clamor for MORE SPENDING on border security, regardless of the facts that show constant increases in border security spending since 2004 and a steady decrease in violent incidents on the US side of the border, come from the same right-wing citizens and politicians who berate the democratic administration for government spending…

And, even the “facts” provided on the violence in Juarez seem disconnected from reality:

“Juarez has seen well over 2,000 people killed each year in the drug war, he said. In 2009, that figure peaked at 2,754 murders, according to El Diario, the city’s major newspaper. The number of murders in Juarez fell to 2,086 last year, a 24 percent drop.”

Apparently the 3,622 people killed in Juarez in 2010 (by far the most violent year ever in the border city since the Mexican Revolution) don’t count. And the story repeats the old “50,000” number for those killed in Mexican violence. And not a shred of evidence is provided on any people killed on the US side of the border. But, if you would really like to escape reality (without taking drugs), take a look at the readers’ comments on this story… molly

Human rights and the Mexican military…Council on Foreign Relations

For those who care to look back at the record, the reports of severe human rights abuses in the current Mexican context first came to light just a few DAYS after the Mexican Army troops came to Juarez in March 2008. Municipal police walked out in protest; citizens protested home invasions and abductions, notably in the Valle de Juarez. One of the most vocal protesters was Josefina Reyes–she was later murdered by the Mexican Army… Here are her words from early summer, 2008:
“Now you see all these big billboards, ‘We [the army] have come to help you’ — but it isn’t true. They have come to pillage us, to ransack our homes. They take the food in the refrigerator, jewelry, anything . . . and they destroy property. It is not a secret who they are.”
There are many Mexicans who have documented the abuses carried out by the Mexican military against the Mexican people.  It is about time that the international community take note…  molly