Implementation of Follow-up Mechanism for Ayotzinapa Case Approved

IACHR approves special mechanism to follow Ayotzinapa case (Photo@Tlachinollan)

On September 10, after a meeting between the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Mexican state, implementation of the Follow-up Mechanism for the Ayotzinapa case was approved. The mechanism aims to follow up the recommendations made by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (IGIE) in the two reports that it gave the government during its yearlong investigation into the case of the disappearance of the 43 students from the Normal Rural School on the night of September 26 and 27, 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero state.

 For more information in Spanish:

Forenses argentinos también desmienten a Zerón: no estuvieron en el río San Juan (La Jornada, a 28 de abril 2016)

COMUNICADO | CIDH anuncia el inicio de la implementación del Mecanismo de Seguimiento del GIEI (Tlachinollan centro de derechos humanos de la montaña, a 12 de septiembre 2016)

CIDH aprueba mecanismo especial de seguimiento para investigación Ayotzinapa (Fundar centro de analysis o investigacion, a 1ero de agosto 2016)

CIDH aprueba mecanismo especial de seguimiento para investigación Ayotzinapa (Tlachinollan centro de derechos humanos de la montaña, a 29 de julio 2016)

National: Fourth Report of Peña Nieto’s Government

Demonstration in Mexico City marking the Fourth Presidential Report (@Centro PRODH)

On 1 September, thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of Mexico City to express their disagreement in response to the delivery of the Fourth Report of the Government. The march was led by relatives of the 43 student teachers who are missing from the Normal Rural School, Ayotzinapa, Guerrero since 2014. It is noteworthy that in mid-August, a survey published by the newspaper Reforma showed that support for the government of Peña Nieto stood at only 23%, the lowest a Mexican president has had in the last two decades.

In the days before the report, several media criticized the performance of the current administration, questioning, among other things, the increase in violence, political scandals, human rights violations and poor economic results.

The Secretary of the Interior, Osorio Chong, gave the document to the Mexican Congress, where he stressed that the relationship between the executive and legislative branches has shown effective dialogue towards establishing agreements, which allowed the approval of “the reforms that Mexico demanded.” He stated that “the transformation is already underway” and that it is time to move from a project with vision for the future to a better reality in the present. However, speaking to media, legislators from both the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) questioned the lack of results.

For his part, President Enrique Peña Nieto held a meeting with about 300 young people (under 35) at the National Palace, which was broadcast via streaming through YouTube and Facebook Live, to talk about the report.

The event began with a recorded message in which the president said the goal of this new format was “change from monologue to dialogue.” Peña Nieto gave details on the content of the report, noting among other things, lower prices for Internet and cellular services; the creation of two million formal jobs (“four times the jobs generated in the same period in the previous six years”), and the fact that Mexico is one of the countries that receives most tourists and attracts most investment. However, while employment figures are intended to show that things are going well for this government, beyond the national unemployment rate (3.9% in June 2016) there is another concept called “rate of critical employment conditions” (RCEC). THE RCEC measures the percentage of the working population working less than 35 hours and as a result receives a monthly income lower than the minimum wage. At national level, according to the government report, about 14.5% of the employed population, i.e. 7.7 million Mexicans, is in that condition. In 2015, the rate was 12.2% of the employed population, some 6.2 million people. In 2014, it was 11.4%, some 5.7 million workers. That is to say, one and half million Mexicans joined these deteriorating conditions of employment and salary from 2015 to date in 2016. Two million when compared with 2014. In some states the rate is above 20% and even 30%, as in Chiapas.

Peña Nieto was questioned about the visit of US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, (he said that “it allowed (the Republican candidate) to realize the relevance of Mexico for the USA”); on accusations of plagiarism of his law thesis (he said it was a “methodological error”); and increasing the price of gasoline (on which he assured that “he never promised gasoline wasn’t going to go up”).

On cases of human rights violations, such as Nochixtlán (Oaxaca) and Tanhuato (Michoacan), he argued that there is a commitment to the clarification of events from the investigations of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR). He stressed that there has been progress to create better conditions regarding human rights and that cases of violations involving the armed forces and the federal public security institutions have decreased.

Finally, on the topic of teachers, he reiterated that education reform aims to improve the quality of education in the country for young people to have more opportunities and tools for their future. He insisted that dialogue could be resumed until the right to education of children and young people of Oaxaca and Chiapas is guaranteed.

For more information in Spanish:

Reporte sobre ‘México Próspero’ confirma golpe a los más desprotegidos (Zocalo Saltillo, 2 de septiembre de 2016)

Peña Nieto sostiene que México avanza en materia de DH (La Jornada, 1ero de septiembre de 2016)

Peña ha logrado grandes cambios pese a resistencias, defiende Osorio Chong (Revista Proceso, 1ero de septiembre de 2016)

Palabras del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto, previo al encuentro con jóvenes en Palacio Nacional con motivo de su 4o Informe de Gobierno (Radio Formula, 1ero de septiembre de 2016)

Nadie puede decir que plagié mi tesis, responde Peña a jóvenes por su Cuarto Informe (Animal Político, 1ero de septiembre de 2016)

Osorio Chong entrega el Cuarto Informe de Peña y pide a legisladores analizarlo sin ideologías de por medio (Animal Político, 1 de septiembre de 2016)

4to. Informe de Gobierno: más muertos, menos dinero y muchos escándalos (Aristegui Noticias, 31 de agosto de 2016)

Para descargar el cuarto informe de gobierno (@gob.mx)

For more information from SIPAZ :

Nacional: Múltiples críticas a la presentación del Tercer Informe de Gobierno de Peña Nieto

(8 de septiembre de 2015)

 

National: International Day of the Disappeared

In the framework of International Day of Victims of Forced Disappearance, held on August 30, various national and international organizations declared themselves in favor of recognizing this problem which has become more acute: today, more than 28,000 people are missing in the country according to official figures.

In a statement, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) in Mexico underlined the obligation “of the authorities to put the effective search for all missing persons in order to clarify there whereabouts at the heart of their efforts, ensuring the participation and inclusion of families and organizations in these processes.” Jan Jarab, UNHCHR representative, raised the need to implement mechanisms of accountability “for those public servants who by act or omission obstruct the search for missing persons.” He said the general law on missing persons in Congress “is an opportunity (…) to create a strong institutional search structure under the coordination of the Federation” and urged that it be approved promptly.

The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) stressed that “the existence of this scourge in our country should be recognized.” It also urged the Federal Government to recognize the importance and urgency of accepting the competence of the Committee for Forced Disappearances of the United Nations Organization (UNO), so that the government can meet international standards. It also asked Congress that the General Law on Forced Disappearance be a priority issue in its next sitting.

The Movement for Our Disappeared in Mexico, composed of more than 40 groups of families of missing persons accompanied by various civil society organizations, presented the #SinLasFamiliasNo campaign, to demand the involvement of families in the formulation and implementation of the General Law on Forced Disappearance and Disappearance of Persons by Individuals. They said that the legislation should include a commission, a national investigation plan and a plan of exhumation and identification of remains as well as a sufficient budget and investigation of responsibility of superiors of the security forces involved in the disappearances.

For their part, Amnesty International, the Institute of Criminal Justice Procedure, the Foundation for Justice and Democratic Rule of Law, the Due Process of Law Foundation, and the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH), presented the document: “Criminal Investigation with Due Diligence of Extrajudicial or Arbitrary Executions, Killings and Disappearances of Persons: A Guide to Basic Standards.”

Within the same framework in Guerrero, relatives of the 43 student teachers from Ayotzinapa and families of the disappeared in Acapulco, Chilapa, and Iguala agreed to unify their searches to continue to demand the presentation with life of their loved ones. They complained that the responsible authorities have not met their obligations. In Chiapas, more than 300 members of the National Front for Socialist Struggle (FNLS) marched in San Cristobal de Las Casas to demand the safe return of the disappeared in Mexico which, they argued, “has become a permanent practice of the State when corrupting, harassing, imprisonment and torture to subdue social activists and their organizations do not work.”

For more information in Spanish:

Convocatoria de la Campaña Nacional Contra la Desaparición Forzada en México

ONU, AI, Cruz Roja, ONGs y familias exigen al Estado mexicano ver y aceptar crisis de desaparecidos (Sin Embargo, 30 de agosto de 2016)

Desaparición forzada, estrategia para infundir terror en los ciudadanos: ONU (Proceso, 30 de agosto de 2016)

Casi 30 mil desaparecidos muestran incapacidad del gobierno: ONG (La Jornada, 30 de agosto de 2016)

Conmemoran Día del Detenido-Desaparecido en Chiapas (La Jornada, 30 de agosto de 2016)

CNDH pide reconocer al comité contra desaparición de la ONU (La Jornada, 30 de agosto de 2016)

Especial « Desapariciones forzadas » (La Jornada, agosto de 2016)

 

For more information from SIPAZ :

Nacional : presentación del informe “Defender los derechos humanos en México, la normalización de la represión política” (31 de agosto de 2016)

National: Report Launch “Defending Human Rights in Mexico: Normalization of Political Repression”

On August 24 last, the Mexico Cerezo Committee, the organization Urgent Action for Human Rights Defenders and the National Campaign Against Forced Disappearance presented the report Defending Human Rights in Mexico: Normalization of Political Repression, which covers the period from June 2015 to May 2016. The report indicates that 87 violations of the human rights of defenders which occurred in 2011, increased to 118 in 2012, 160 in 2013, 225 in 2014 and 302 in 2015. Another 35 were documented so far this year.

For the first time, the number of physical assaults surpassed that of threats and harassment of activists and human rights defenders, and also that Guerrero, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacan and Veracruz account for half of these abuses (293 attacks on activists of a total of 482). The fifth report included 41 death threats, three forced disappearances, 186 physical assaults, 55 evictions, nine cases where shots were fired and an equal number of damage to or theft of property.

The document notes that most of the violations are related to the promotion of various mega-projects, where activists and advocates accompany social movements fighting for their territory, water, forests and natural resources.

Commenting on the report, Jesus Peña Palacios, from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico, underlined the obligation of the government and its authorities to ensure the work of human rights defenders. Father Miguel Concha stated that “there is always a political intention to commit these violations.” Fernando Rios, Rights for All Network, denounced for his part the existence of a state policy characterized by insults, harassment and attacks against domestic and foreign defenders, as in the case of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) in the Ayotzinapa case.

 For more information in Spanish:

CONSULTA 5° Informe VDH: Defender los derechos humanos en México:- La normalización de la represión política (Junio de 2015 a mayo de 2016). (Comité Cerezo, agosto de 2016)

Concentran cinco entidades casos de agresión contra activistas: ONG (Revista Proceso, 24 de agosto de 2016)

Superan ya las agresiones físicas a las amenazas contra activistas (La Jornada Maya, 25 de agosto de 2016)

Aumentan ataques a defensores de DH debido a protestas contra reformas estructurales y caso Ayotzinapa: Comité Cerezo (Revolución 3.0, 25 de agosto de 2016)

Normalización de la represión política (La Jornada, 27 de agosto de 2016)

 For more information from SIPAZ :

Nacional/Guerrero: Informes poco favorables sobre corrupción y derechos humanos en México (3 de febrero de 2016)

National/Guerrero: “43 Days for the 43” Campaign Begins

In August, almost two years after the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Raul Isidro Burgos Normal School, Ayotzinapa, parents, students and civil organizations began the “43 Days for the 43” campaign for the second consecutive year. This is a social networking campaign, which was started to continue the demand for appearance of the students with life, for truth, justice and reparation.

It should be recalled that on 19 August, parents of the 43 student teachers broke negotiations with the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) after its refusal to deliver results of the investigation to the director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA), Tomas Zeron Lucio. The lawyer for the parents, Vidulfo Rosales Sierra said that fathers and mothers would not return to the negotiating table until there is “force of will and a firm position on what will happen with Tomas Zeron” who is being investigated for conducting proceedings that are not included in the file on the disappearance of the student teachers, as evidenced by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) in its latest report.

On another note, on August 29, the Attorney General of the Republic, Arely Gomez Gonzalez reported that investigations into the case are not closed, and presented PRI senators with a report to this regard. He said that, “we will continue working to bring all those responsible to justice.” He recalled that, “we have recorded 168 people involved in the case. Of these, 54 are municipal police of Iguala and 19 from Cocula. The rest are members, accomplices or associates of the criminal group Guerreros Unidos” and that “We have obtained 223 formal imprisonment orders and 209 arrest warrants for various crimes such as kidnapping, organized crime, forced disappearance, homicide and possession of firearms, among others.” He reported that the PGR has received 941 requests from the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), of which 91 percent had been addressed and the rest are in the process of being seen to. He stated that 608 preliminary investigations into probable corruption offenses committed by public servants have started and criminal action was brought against 280 involved.

For more information in Spanish:

Sitio Web de la Campaña 

Rompen el diálogo padres de los 43 con la PGR; no les informó de la investigación a Zerón, denuncian (El Sur, 19 de agosto de 2016)

Caso Iguala sigue abierto, reitera Arely Gómez (La Jornada, 29 de agosto de 2016)

PGR presenta informe a casi dos años de la desaparición de los normalistas de Ayotzinapa (Animal Político, 29 de agosto de 2016)

 For more information from SIPAZ :

Guerrero/Nacional: Familia de Julio César Mondragón Fontes exige investigación integral (18 de julio de 2016)

Guerrero/Nacional : Jueces dan por muertos a los 43 desaparecidos de Ayotzinapa (18 de mayo de 2016)

Guerrero/México: GIEI concluye su trabajo México entregando un segundo informe. (28 de abril de 2016)

 

National: “Narco Violence” Has Displaced 281,000 People

Violence in the country has increased due to the presence of “narcos” (Photo:@Economia hoy)

According to research from the Center of Social Studies and Public Opinion (CESOP) of the Chamber of Deputies, the situation of generalized violence in which various zones of the country find themselves, has led to an increased number of people who have been forced to displace in the country. According to CESOP “the violence generated by drug cartels throughout the country” is one of the most recognized reasons people are forced to flee their lands. Despite discrepancies in the figures and not counting with official statistics, it is estimated that between 2011 and 2015 “281,418 people were forced to escape” from their homes. According to the results of the research, the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas, among others, are the states with the highest number of displaced.

The “criminal organizations not only fight over drug trafficking routes now, but also aspire to control more and more territory in general.” According to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement of the UNO, forced displacement happens when “persons or groups of persons have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as result of or to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural disasters or [those] caused by humans, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border.” In most cases, the families have been displaced within Mexico. While internationally there are extensive regulations and a legal basis for the protection of displaced persons in the area of forced internal displacement, there are no equivalent legal instruments.

For this reason, and in order to continue adding to the analysis of this problem, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) published the “Special Report on Forced Internal Displacement (FID) in Mexico” in May of this year. It says that, “the Federal Government recognized that among the factors that most influenced the increase in violence, disputes in and between criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking stand out.” “However the importance of the protection of human rights and displaced persons stands out,” the research concludes. Having recognized that there is no global figure for internal displacement generated by the violence of the drug cartels, it warns that “the Mexican authorities have downplayed or ignored the problem” to date. The CESOP document stresses that as happens with the information included in reports of kidnapping of migrants, the Mexican State has discredited figures on internal displacement.

For more information in Spanish

Violencia del narco ha desplazado a 281 mil (Milenio, 18 de julio de 2016)

El gobierno minimiza el creciente problema de las personas desplazadas, afirma el Legislativo (La Jornada, 18 de julio de 2016)

Los desplazados del narco (Vanguardia, 15 de julio de 2016)

El Estado mexicano se contradice ante el desplazamiento interno forzado (Animal Político, 4 de julio de 2016)

Informe Especial sobre Desplazamiento Forzado Interno (DFI) en México (CNDH, 1 de mayo de 2016)

For more information from SIPAZ

Nacional: CNDH lamenta más de 35 mil víctimas de desplazamiento forzado interno en el país (16 de mayo de 2016)

Guerrero/National: Family of Julio Cesar Mondragon Fontes Demands Comprehensive Investigation

Commemoration area in the Normal Rural School, Ayotzinapa. Photo:@SIPAZ

Following the results of recent studies carried out on the student teacher from Ayotzinapa, Julio Cesar Mondragon Fontes, the family believes that they are at the beginning of a way to achieve truth and justice almost 22 months after the events of September 26 and 27, 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero. The family confirms its full confidence in the assessment presented by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (AFAT), and believes it will contribute to “the authorities conducing the relevant investigation to lead to truth and justice.” They also showed concern about the inadequacy of the investigation that the Attorney of Guerrero carried out. The case of Julio Caesar was retaken by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (IGIE), which since its first report recommended the exhumation due to the forensic delay. The IGIE noted in its second report that the fragmentation of the investigation and the delay in analysis, after the body was exhumed, caused “unnecessary family re-victimization.” The demand is so that this family and others may have, finally, a clarification of the facts, and punishment of the real culprits.

Furthermore, twelve international civilian organizations sent an open letter to the President of the Republic on July 13. In it they asked to establish a mechanism of investigation into the forced disappearance of students from Ayotzinapa, more than two months after the end of the mandate of the IGIE. They regretted that until “this day the Mexican authorities have not complied with the main purpose of the agreement or the IGIE: the location of the missing students. This means that the injunction of the IACHR that led to the creation of the IGIE remains in force.” The open letter ends with a plea to the authorities “to create a mechanism that has full cooperation and coordination of the Mexican State so that the obstacles faced by the IGIE during its tenure are not repeated. The mechanism is a new opportunity for the Mexican government to demonstrate to the international community and especially to its citizens that it is committed to the effective guarantee of human rights and compliance with its national and international obligations. “

For more information in Spanish

Familia de Julio César Mondragón exige investigación integral para conocer la verdad (Sididh 2.0, 14 de julio de 2016)

Piden a Peña Nieto instalar mecanismo de seguimiento sobre el caso Iguala (Sididh 2.0, 14 de julio de 2016)

Carta abierta para seguir en el caso de Ayotzinapa (PBI México, 13 de julio de 2016)

 For more information from SIPAZ

Chiapas/Nacional: Movilizaciones a 21 meses de la desaparición de “los 43” (28 de junio de 2016)

Guerrero: Cuerpo de Julio Cesar Mondragón fue inhumado por segunda vez (17 de febrero de 2016)

Guerrero: Exhuman cuerpo del estudiante de Ayotzinapa torturado y ejecutado, Julio César Mondragón (9 de noviembre de 2016)