Guerrero/National/International: CNDH and IACHR Ayotzinapa Reports

Ayotzinapa at Tlachinollan anniversary(@SIPAZ)

On November 27th, three days before the end of the six-year term of office of Enrique Peña Nieto, the president of the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH in its Spanish acronym), Luis Raul Gonzalez Perez, presented recommendation 15VG/2018 on the events that took place in September 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero, that caused the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa, the death of six people and 42 more wounded. He considered it as a “point of departure and a clear guide to what remains to be done” so that the next government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will get truth and justice in the case.

At a press conference, he said that, “what happened in Iguala should not be seen as an isolated case, but as a reflection of the situation that covers several regions of the country, and in which the possibility of generating an episode of similar dimensions and characteristics is a latent risk.”

He stressed that “a crime of the dimensions that happened in Iguala could only occur because of the penetration of organized crime in government structures”, while “various authorities, at federal, local and municipal levels, knew that things were rotten and contaminated, but nobody did anything. This would have prevented an outcome like the one that happened.”

He indicated that the investigation showed “that the authorities violated the right to the truth of the victims and of society when formulating or disseminating biased statements or partial or false information, which disorientated, confused and generated uncertainty in public opinion, causing the victims to be victimized again.”

On another note, two years after the Special Follow-up Mechanism was installed, this body of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented its final work report, in which it analyzes the main anomalies, deficiencies and omissions detected in the investigation conducted by the Mexican government. It concludes that “despite all the proceedings contained in a dossier of more than 618 volumes, the investigations continue fragmented, and require a comprehensive analysis (…) many of the proceedings seem to be incomplete, are discarded or fail to be procedurally driven.” The IACHR also expressed its concern at the fact that “there is still no change in the official narrative regarding the line of investigation of the Cocula landfill, despite what has been indicated by this Commission, by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (IGIE), the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (AFAT).” It urged the Mexican State “to redouble the efforts to determine the whereabouts of the student teachers, to know the truth of what happened on the night of September 26th and 27th, 2014, to provide comprehensive assistance to families and to ensure that these atrocious events do happen again”.

For more information in Spanish:

RECOMENDACIÓN No. 15VG/2018 « Caso Iguala » (CNDH, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Toca a AMLO enderezar investigación por caso Ayotzinapa: CNDH al emitir recomendación a Peña (Proceso, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

La CNDH revive “versión histórica” de la PGR en caso Iguala: mínimo 19 personas calcinadas en Cocula (Proceso, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

La CNDH señala que autoridades violaron el derecho a la verdad en el caso Iguala (ADN Politico, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Informe Final: Mecanismo de Seguimiento al Asunto Ayotzinapa (CIDH, 25 de noviembre de 2018)

Profundizar investigación a militares y policías por caso Ayotzinapa, recomienda CIDH (Informe) (Aristegui Noticias, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Sin identificar, 19 calcinados en basurero de Cocula: CNDH (La Jornada, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Caso Ayotzinapa: la CIDH detecta más indicios de federales y militares en ataque a normalistas⁩ (Animal Político, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Caso Ayotzinapa aún incompleto y sin detención de involucrados: CIDH (Vanguardia, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Incompleta y fragmentada la “versión histórica” del caso Ayotzinapa; CIDH pide desecharla (Proceso, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero/National: Ayotzinapa, Four Years On…  (October 1st, 2018)

Guerrero/National: Incoming Government Confirms Creation of Truth Commission for Ayotzinapa Case (Aug. 13th, 12018)

Guerrero/National: Obstruction in Formation of Truth Commission in Ayotzinapa Case Denounced (Aug. 8th, 2018)Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate

Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate (Aug. 2nd, 2018)

Guerrero/National: Federal Court Orders Creation Truth Commission to Reopen Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case (July 12th, 2018)

Guerrero/Nacional : CNDH informa que se tiene a un preso inocente por el caso Ayotzinapa (22 de junio de 2018)

Guerrero/Nacional/Internacional : Llamados a redigirir investigación en el caso Ayotzinapa (14 de junio de 2018)

 

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Oaxaca: 22 Members of Sol Rojo (Red Sun) Released

Press conference of the Coordination for the Release of Criminalized Defenders in Oaxaca (@Consorcio)

In a statement published on November 6th, the Coordination for the Release of Criminalized Defenders of Oaxaca reported that “after more than three years of facing a judicial process with serious violations of due process, torture and incommunicado detention, 22 members of the organization Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo [Current of the Red Sun People] were freed from criminal case 30/2015 in which they were accused of terrorism and carrying a weapon (molotov cocktail). This freedom was given in resolution of the incident promoted in August by the lawyer and defender Ernesto Sernas, rejecting a series of tests used by the Attorney General of the Republic’s office. It should be recalled that these people were arbitrarily arrested on June 7th, 2015 in retaliation for their participation in a peaceful demonstration called by Section 22 of the Oaxacan teachers in the context of the elections on the same day. Their trial was at all times plagued by serious irregularities; also the members of Sol Rojo suffered torture during their detention, as well as during transfers and arrivals in prisons. This torture has left serious consequences on physical and emotional levels.”

The Coordination stressed that with this decision – in which it was observed “action on political direction on the part of the Attorney General of the Republic, when imputing crimes that they never committed in coordination with federal and state police bodies” is evidenced once again the “policy of criminalization” of Enrique Peña Nieto against human rights defenders, the “serious pattern of criminalization in Oaxaca” and the urgency that all these serious violations be punished promptly and in accordance with the law.

It also demanded the presentation of the defender Ernesto Sernas who is missing, since last May 10th for reasons that they believe have to do with his defense work in favor of the organization Sol Rojo, in the context that so far “there has been no progress in the investigations to find his whereabouts.”

It reaffirmed its position in favor of the liberation of all the defenders of Oaxaca who remain unjustly in prison as “reprisal” for their legitimate defense work. It also urged the authorities to act against the high risk in which members of Sol Rojo remain who have suffered serious and permanent attacks.

For more information in Spanish:

Defensores de DH integrantes de la organización Sol Rojo en libertad mediante sentencia absolutoria, luego de tres años de proceso judicial (Coordinación para la Libertad de Personas Defensoras Criminalizadas en Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

22 presos políticos de Sol Rojo fueron puestos en libertad (Libertad Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

Dejan en libertad a 22 presos políticos en Oaxaca (Siete Días Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

Anuncian la liberación de 22 activistas de Oaxaca presos por delitos federales (Despertar de Oaxaca, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero / National: Nestora Salgado announces campaign for the freedom of political prisoners  (September 16th, 2018)

Oaxaca : Exigen atención para 33 personas defensoras de derechos humanos bajo procesos judiciales (3 de agosto de 2018)

International/National: Mexico’s 2018 Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (@Animal Político)

On November 7th, as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council, representatives from 108 countries made questions and recommendations on the subject to Mexico at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The last review had been carried out in 2013.

The Mexican government delegation acknowledged that “considerable challenges” persist in the protection of human rights defenders and journalists, torture, forced disappearance, femicidal and anti-migrant violence, as well as impunity in the criminal justice system.

Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs, Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, leader of the Mexican delegation for this UPR, said that “Mexico remains a country open to international scrutiny, and assured that the State will continue to work with civil society to address the recommendations made in this Review.” The Human Rights Council of the UN, based on this, will make recommendations for the Mexican State, which must answer those it will accept and those it will not for March 2019. It should be noted that by then the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be in office.

At the end of the session ColectivoEPUmx said that the participation of the States confirmed that the human rights crisis in Mexico persists. It summarized what was stated as follows: “the main issue of concern was the aggressions against and murders of human rights defenders and journalists and the lack of investigation and punishment of the perpetrators. Multiple observations were also made about the structural and institutional violence against women. The need to attack the high levels of violence, corruption and impunity was reiterated, considering that they are accurate and verifiable indicators in the fulfillment of responsibilities regarding the human rights of a State. In this logic, the need for a #FiscaliaQueSirva was reiterated and many concerns of the #SeguridadSinGuerra collective were repeated, such as the revision of the Internal Security Law.”

In view of the above, ColectivoEPU.mx called on the elected federal government to hold a public meeting once these recommendations have been issued and to strengthen the international cooperation for its implementation as well as “generating mechanisms that allow the implementation of the results of this exercise of the UPR and mechanisms to eradicate impunity.”

For more information in Spanish:

COMUNICADO | Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU confirma crisis de DDHH en México (#ColectivoEPUmx, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

En EPU solicitan a México respuestas eficaces para proteger a periodistas y activistas (Aristegui Noticias, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

Persiste violencia estructural contra mujeres e impunidad: EPUmx (La Jornada, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

EPU 2018: México reconoce ante el mundo su deuda en Derechos Humanos; naciones señalan retos y deficiencias (Animal Político, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

EPU2018: Llegó el momento, gobierno de EPN se somete a su examen final sobre Derechos Humanos (Animal Político, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: 245 NGO publicly present the “Joint Report for the Third Universal Periodic Review of Mexico”  (September 20th, 2018)

2018: México será examinado por el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU en el tercer ciclo del Examen Periódico Universal (EPU) (4 de abril de 2018)

National: 176 recommendations for Mexico during the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)  (November 13th, 2013)

Nacional: informe de OSC sobre DH rumbo al segundo Examen Periódico Universal (EPU) en octubre (12 de julio de 2013)

National/International: World Network of Mothers of Disappeared Migrants Formed in Mexico

@Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano

Within the framework of the 8th World Social Forum on Migration that took place in Mexico City from November 2nd to 4th, dozens of women from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Senegal, Mauritania, Tunisia, Algeria, Spain and Italy met to participate in the World Summit of mothers of missing migrants. At the end of the event, they agreed on the creation of the World Network of Mothers of Disappeared Migrants. Among the actions that will be implemented is the establishment of a digital platform where the names, countries and all the personal data of the people who disappeared while migrating and those looking for them will be held; strategies to maintain contact and define joint actions; virtual training workshops that explain the ways of conducting searches will be held, among other activities.

In a final manifesto, they denounced that, “the process of forced displacement throughout the world has forced people to leave behind their place of origin, their country and their loved ones. They migrate to preserve their lives and the lives of their families from generalized social violence; from wars and conflicts; from the poverty generated by extractivism, megaprojects and neoliberalism that has permeated all areas of life; from state violence and the agreements of impunity between governments and criminal groups; from climate change and the environmental destruction that attacks populations.” They demanded “a dignified treatment in accordance with international standards for migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, and people seeking their missing relatives.” They also stated that, “Migrating is a Right. Not migrating is also. Therefore, we hold the States of the world responsible for the pain that has brought us together in this Summit, and we demand the right of everyone to a dignified life, in any country in which they find themselves.”

For more information in Spanish:

Manifiesto de la Cumbre Mundial de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos (Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

Madres de migrantes desaparecidos crean red mundial para su búsqueda (Animal Político, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

A los miles de migrantes que ya están en CdMx se unen madres de desaparecidos que piden justicia (Sin Embargo, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos inician red de búsqueda (Telesur, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

En México, cumbre global de madres de migrantes desaparecidos (La Jornada, 1ero de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National / International: Caravan of mothers of disappeared migrants arrives in Mexico
(November 1st, 2018)

National/International: “Caravan of Mothers of Missing Migrants” Arrives to Mexico
(December 27th, 2017)

México : Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos “buscando vida en caminos de muerte” (25 de noviembre de 2016)

National: XI Caravan of Mothers of Central American Migrants seeking out their sons in Mexico (December 26th, 2015)

 

Guerrero: First Colloquium for Peace

Photo @ La Jornada

On November 5th, in the auditorium of the Superior Court of Justice in Chilpancingo de los Bravo, the Colloquium for Peace in Guerrero began. The event was convened by the Chilpancingo-Chilapa diocese and the Organization of the Americas for Educational Excellence (ODAEE in its Spanish acronym) and survivors of the Iguala massacre (2014), the current mayor of Chilpancingo participated among others.

On November 6th, in Chilapa, Salvador Rangel Mendoza, bishop of the Chilapa-Chilpancingo diocese, “proposed the inclusion of young people, who now constitute a key sector of the population for reconciliation and peace, as they represent most of the affected and victims in conflicts. He said that achieving peace is everyone’s task, building an inclusive democracy, and a path of peace, concrete actions from different fronts; they cannot sit and wait for only government institutions to build peace.

The cleric proposed a strategy that he commented, has given good results in Europe and the Middle East, as well as in Colombia, through education, establishing as obligatory the subject of peace and reconciliation in the study programs of all levels educational, from primary to professional; the promotion of cultural sports, recreational, and artistic activities; providing them with tools, materials, access to spaces and resources for it; recognizing young people as relevant actors, improving coexistence and transformation; strengthening of youth organizations; promotion of extra-curricular activities, with the purpose of rebuilding the social fabric and promoting general prosperity.”

According to several sources, during the Colloquium the bishop also mentioned that he continues to seek dialogue with organized crime groups in order to achieve a “Christmas truce” in December.

For more information in Spanish:

Contra la violencia en Guerrero se organiza Coloquio por la Paz (La Jornada, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

Obispo de Chilpancingo, Guerrero, pidió a narcotraficantes una “tregua” navideña (Vanguardia, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

Es tarea de todos lograr la paz en Guerrero, coinciden en coloquio en Chilpancingo (El Sur de Acapulco, 5 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero: Article 19 urges to investigate political motivations in the case of the murder of the journalist, Gabriel Soriano
(November 4th, 2018)

Guerrero: Radio and TV Broadcaster from Guerrero Murdered
(November 1st, 2018)

Guerrero: Mixed Unit Disarms 500 Municipal Police and Arrests Two Officers in Acapulco; Public Security Controlled by SEDENA, SEMAR and State Police
(October 2nd, 2018)

Nacional: Relatores sobre libertad de expresión de la CIDH y la ONU presentan informe después de visita a México (21 de junio de 2018)

Guerrero : allanan las oficinas de la agencia de noticias Quadratín en Acapulco (25 de abril de 2018)

National / International: Caravan of mothers of disappeared migrants arrives in Mexico

Ruben Figueroa, Mesoamerican Migrants Movement

On October 23, in the midst of the exodus of thousands of Hondurans who entered Mexico to reach the United States, the XIV caravan of Central American mothers who seek their missing children in this same attempt also arrived in Mexico.

The Mesoamerican Migrant Movement, which has been supporting this process, estimates that more than 70,000 people from Central America, including Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans, disappeared in Mexican territory. The violence and human rights violations to which they may be exposed have been widely documented by various human rights organizations, including the United Nations (UN), which have documented the risks of migrants in Mexico and the crimes they may face.

The women who participate in the caravan this year integrate several search groups in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. They will be in Mexico from October 23 to November 7, “carrying out actions of research, communal living and protest in 12 states of the Mexican territory covering almost 4,000 kilometers in length and with the confidence of impacting the Mexican society to which they ask for solidarity with their cause”, the statement announcing the activity informed.

The same statement emphasized that “in this edition, one of the purposes of the caravan is to arrive at Mexico City in time to participate in the World Summit of Mothers of Missing Migrants, which will take place in parallel and as a part of the World Social Forum on Migration. on November 2, 3, and 4 of this year, where for the first time there will be a historic meeting between mothers from Maghreb countries: Mauritania, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, in addition to Italy, areas of the Asian Pacific, the United States, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and also Mexican mothers. “

The objective of this summit is “to link emerging organizations of family members, mothers in particular, who share the struggle to find their loved ones and reunite their families broken by the phenomenon of forced displacement, to share experiences of search and healing, to feed the hope and to recognize that the problem of the disappearances of people in movement is global, diverse and extremely complex “; as well as “to send a strong message of repudiation to the world powers, governments and institutions, to tell them that their migration management models, instead of solving what they erroneously assume as a problem, criminally aggravate the situation they cause in this era of capitalist accumulation by dispossession and violence, and that they will not succeed, no matter how many dead they produce, to “order” and control the migratory flows ».

For more information (In Spanish)

Inicia Caravana de migrantes desaparecidos 2018 – vídeo (La Jornada, 23 de octubre de 2018)

Llegará a México caminata de madres de migrantes desaparecidos (La Jornada, 23 de octubre de 2018)

Madres centroamericanas llegan a México este martes en busca de sus hijos desaparecidos (Animal Político, 23 de octubre de 2018)

Madres centroamericanas avanzan hacia México buscando a sus parientes migrantes desaparecidos (CNN México, 20 de octubre de 2018)

COMUNICADO: XIV Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos 2018 (Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano, 5 de octubre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English) :

National/International: “Caravan of Mothers of Missing Migrants” Arrives to Mexico December 27, 2017

Mexico: Mothers of Disappeared Migrants “Looking for Life on Roads of Death” November 28, 2016

Chiapas: Caravan for Peace, Life and Justice Reaches San Cristobal de Las Casas April 10, 2016

National: 21 sentences for Forced Disappearance since 2001

@ Vanguardia

According to an article in La Jornada newspaper in its October 15th edition, only 21 sentences have been handed down for the crime of forced disappearance since it was defined in 2001 in the Federal Criminal Code. 18 of them were convictions and three were acquittals. This was raised by Javier Yankelevich, a researcher at the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN in its Spanish acronym) during the forum “Forced disappearance, legislative and judicial analysis”, which was held a few days earlier at the National Institute of Criminal Sciences (Inacipe in its Spanish acronym).

The analyst also stressed that “in most sentences the punishments are almost always with the minimum penalties and only one high-ranking military man has been sentenced.” “The 18 sentences include 41 men sanctioned with an average of 7.5 years in prison (the recently approved General Law on Disappearance establishes a minimum penalty of 40 years in prison) and in these cases no type of reparation has been given for the victims or their relatives”, he said.

During the same forum, Jorge Carrion, director of investigation at Inacipe, stressed that although the Mexican State has made important efforts to strengthen the legal and legislative framework on forced disappearance, this is not yet a constant practice in the country.

For more information in Spanish:

Desde 2001 sólo hay 21 sentencias por desaparición (La Jornada, 15 de octubre de 2018)

Un estado evaporado (El Sol de México, 18 de octubre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: More than Six Thousand Children Disappeared in Mexico in the last 11 Years
(October 11th, 2018)