Human Rights: Declaration against Federal Police Raid on Paso del Norte Human Rights Center

Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; June 6, 2011

The civil organizations that make up the Group of Articulation "Justice in Juárez" firmly denounce the raid, without a search warrant, by the Federal Police on the offices of the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center directed by Father Oscar Enríquez. 

This act took place on June 5 with the participation of police patrol cars with the serial numbers  12427, 13972, 13943, 13748 and 1057. It represents an attack on the work that the Center has been carrying out over the past ten years to promote the rights of the poorest and most vulnerable of our community. 

Given that the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center participated in organizing the National Citizens' Pact to be signed in our city on June 10, we consider this an act of intimidation directed at the organizations that support and plan to receive the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity that is traveling with the poet Javier Sicilia.

We issue a warning to national organizations that are participating in the Caravan to be aware of the possibility of more actions of aggression and intimidation. We urge everyone to make public declarations and to denounce this act in all their national and international networks. 

To the human rights organizations of the country and of the world, we ask you to demand the activation of the protocols that exist to safeguard human rights defenders and to protect human rights organizations.

To the Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights we urge you to issue a declaration on this event, to activate the necessary measures and to remain on the alert and to publicize any subsequent information that comes out. 

To the Chihuahua state Congress, particularly the Commissions on Security, Justice and Human rights, we demand that you issue a statement on these acts adn from your position of authority demand the activation of necessary mechanisms to protect human rights defenders.

We demand that the national Attorney General's Office provide a detailed explanation of this operation, an exhaustive investigation of the events, and that it censure the police officials and agents that took part in this lamentable incident. 

We hold the federal government headed by Felipe Calderón Hinojosa responsible for the aggression and attacks that could take place against any of our organizations and/or their members.

We advise the local, state and federal governments that we will denounce any act of aggression against the organizations that make up our Group of Articulation "Justice in Juárez" and that form part of the Juarez Assembly for Peace with Justice and Dignity.

Justice is First. Nothing in Juárez Without Justice.

For the Group of Articulation "Justie in Juárez"

CDHPN, Colectiva Arte, Comunidad y Equidad, Movimiento Pacto por la Cultura, Centro de Mujeres Tonantzín, Programa Compañeros, Redes Universitarias Ciudad Juárez, Plan Estratégico de Juárez, Organización Popular Independiente, Red Mesa de Mujeres, Casa Amiga, Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante, CCOSYDHAC, Comité Médico Ciudadano, Organización el Camino, Comunidades Eclesiales de Base, Mujeres del Pacto, Consejo Ciudadano.

For More Information:

Verónica Corchado veronicacorchado@yahoo.com

Zulma Y. Méndez   Zulma.y.mendez@gmail.com

Cecilia Espinoza    pjo_juarez@hotmail.com