On December 10, Amnesty International sent an open letter to the new governor of Oaxaca, Gabino Cue Monteagudo, which provides a summary of the main challenges concerning the human rights situation in the state and calls onhim to develop a plan of action in the matter. In observance of International Human Rights Day, the organization highlighted four of the pending matters in the state: the abuse of undocumented migrants, the attacks against human rights defenders, the situation in the Triqui region and the impunity in the cases of human rights violations in the context of the 2006 crisis. Amnesty International stated: “The new government faces an unprecedented opportunity to build a culture of respect for human rights and to make them real in the daily performance of the state and municipal authorities.”
On December 1st, in a ceremony in the local congress at which over 3000 people were invited, Gabino Cue took up his new position while street protests were held not only to repudiate the government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz but also to ask for a response to the demands of the people from the new governor. While members of the Movement for Triqui Unification and Struggle-Independent (MULTI), displaced from San Juan Copala, remained in their sit-in, the Movement for Triqui Unification and Struggle (MULT) marched to ask for clarification in the case of the death of its leader Heriberto Pazos, killed in October. Section 22 of the SNTE demanded that former Governor Ulises Ruiz be brought to justice and iwarned Cue it will not accept representatives of the leader of the SNTE (National Union of Education Workers), Elba Esther Gordillo in the cabinet. Other groups associated with the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) also marched that day.
The new governor has assured that he will conduct an investigation of the outgoing administration, although not in a spirit of revenge or “witch hunting”. He has publicly stated that he won’t stand for impunity and that finances, political murders and high-impact human rights violations will be investigated.
For more information (in Spanish):
– México: Amnistía Internacional llama al nuevo gobernador de Oaxaca a priorizar la agenda de derechos humanos – Pronunciamiento completo (AI, 10 de diciembre de 2010)
– AI exige poner fin a impunidad en Oaxaca (El Universal, 10 de diciembre de 2010)
– Amnistía Internacional dirige carta abierta al Gobernador Cué Monteagudo (Oaxaca Libre, 10 de diciembre de 2010)
– Exigen justicia al nuevo gobierno (El Universal, 2 de diciembre de 2010)
– Revisaré cuentas y asesinatos: Cué (El Universal, 2 de diciembre de 2010)
– El equipo de Gabino Cué asume control del gobierno de Oaxaca (La Jornada, 1 de diciembre)
– Repudio hasta el último día (La Jornada, 1 de diciembre)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
– Oaxaca: Events in observance of the commemoration of the repression in 2006 (December 14, 2010)
– Oaxaca: Coalition “United for Peace and Progress” defeats PRI in state elections (July 12, 2010)
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