Drug War: Heckled during speech, Mexico's president defends drug war

latimes.com: "Mexican President Felipe Calderon has once again clashed with a citizen angry about the effects of the country's drug war, this time during a speech in which a man in the audience shouted, "How many more dead?"

... A man identified by local news outlets as animator Tonatiuh Moreno reportedly went on: "When will this war be over? Where will you live when your term is finished?" Calderon appeared to take the shouts gamely, and took the opportunity to defend his policies. He responded quickly to the last question, "Maybe here in Guadalajara, mi estimado," a phrase meaning "my dear" or "my esteemed."" read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Military General Accused of Ordering Executions in Chihuahua, Mexico

Justice in Mexico: "Major General Manuel de Jesús Moreno Aviña has been accused of systematic abuses between April of 2008 and August of 2009 in front of the military garrison of Ojinaga, Chihuahua. According to Reforma, General Moreno Aviña is responsible for at least seven extrajudicial executions." read more

Central American Migrants: Amnesty International hangs shoes in front of the Mexican Ministry of Interior in support of migrants

A creative demonstration, Mexican style, in support of protection of Central American migrants. Translated by CIP intern, Michael Kane.

La Jornada: "On Thursday, Jan. 26, in front of the offices of the Mexican Ministry of Interior, on Paseo de la Reforma (Mexico City), Amnesty International’s (AI) Mexico office organized a rally in support of the international campaign “Migrants desperately need socks,” through which they hope to raise awareness about and highlight the plight of thousands of Central Americans who every year venture across the country with hopes of reaching the United States.

In front of the doors of the Ministry of Interior building, AI placed two clothes lines of shoes: “They are a symbol of the hundreds of shoes that are lost and abandoned every year in the desert. They represent the fate of thousands of migrants who cross the Mexican border and penetrate the U.S. desert in search of the ‘American Dream.’”

Why a campaign to donate socks to migrants? AI’s Daniel Zapico explains: “When the organization asked the migrants – in interviews that were done to investigate the issue – what would they take with them when they left their country, the answer was ‘socks.’”

Zapico added: “we are here to denounce yet again--despite the Mexican government’s promise to change--these laws and other official methods, no matter how small; abuses, kidnappings, extortion, and threats against migrants all continue.” Spanish original

Drug War: Mexico Says Drought Also Hurting Marijuana Growers

ABC News: "The drought in northern Mexico is so bad that it has hurt even illicit drug growers and their normally well-tended crops of marijuana and opium poppies, a Mexican army commander said Monday. One effect of the lack of rains is that drug planting has "declined considerably," said Gen. Pedro Gurrola, commander of army forces in the state of Sinaloa, the cradle of the drug cartel by the same name." read more

Drug War: Drug cartel member confesses to 75 murders

CBS News: " Police in northern Mexico have captured an alleged member of the Zetas drug gang who confessed to killing at least 75 people, including many who were pulled off buses, authorities said Monday.
Enrique Elizondo Flores told investigators 36 of his victims were bus passengers traveling through the town of Cerralvo, near the border with Texas, said Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene.

Elizondo was detained Jan. 20 in the town of Salinas Victoria, but authorities delayed announcing his arrest so they could verify details of his confession, state Attorney General Adrian de la Garza said." read more

Drug War: Eugene Jarecki, Sundance Grand Jury Winner, On His Drug War Documentary 'The House I Live In'

Huffington Post: "In 2005, Eugene Jarecki's documentary "Why We Fight" won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for its incisive deconstruction of the military-industrial complex. At this year's festival, he won the award again with a follow-up of sorts, titled "The House I Live In," which examines the unimaginable damage wrought by America's prison-industrial system and the so-called War on Drugs." read more

Mexico Corruption: Mexican officials reportedly barring exit of 3 former governors

latimes.com: "Federal authorities in Mexico are seeking to keep three former governors from leaving the country, apparently as part of a corruption investigation, Mexican media reported Monday.

The federal attorney general's office has issued advisories to Mexican border officials and other agencies to block the possible exit of the three ex-governors, all from the violence-plagued border state of Tamaulipas, according to various news reports." read more

Movement for Peace with Justice: A Conversation With Javier Sicilia

The first of a series of blogs presenting an extended interview with Javier Sicilia, leader of the Mexican Movement for Peace with Justice

North American Congress on Latin America: "A few days ago, I had a wide-ranging talk with Javier Sicilia, the founder of the nonviolent, anti-violence group called Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD).

Since its inception last March, following the murder of Sicilia’s son in Cuernavaca, the group has campaigned against the spreading criminal and state violence in Mexico, and more specifically against the militarization of Mexico’s Drug War and what Sicilia sees as the concurrent militarization of Mexican society.

... here are some excerpts on the questions of nonviolence and the process of dialogue:" read more

Drug War Politics: Obama Just Says No to Answering Drug Prohibition Questions

Border Lines: "Today YouTube ignored a question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired LAPD deputy chief of police that won twice as many votes as any other video question in the White House's "Your Interview with the President" competition on the Google-owned site. They did, however, find the time to get the president on record about late night snacking, singing and dancing, celebrating wedding anniversaries and playing tennis." read more

Drought and Cold Snap Cause Food Crisis in Northern Mexico

NYTimes.com: "A drought that a government official called the most severe Mexico had ever faced has left two million people without access to water and, coupled with a cold snap, has devastated cropland in nearly half of the country.

The government in the past week has authorized $2.63 billion in aid, including potable water, food and temporary jobs for the most affected areas, rural communities in 19 of Mexico’s 31 states. But officials warned that no serious relief was expected for at least another five months, when the rainy season typically begins in earnest." read more

Mexico Politics: Veracruz treasurer resigns after the seizure of 25 million pesos

More developments in the Veracruz money case

Milenio: "The head of Finance of the government of Veracruz, Victor Benitez, presented his resignation after the retention of 25 million pesos--transported in suitcases to the airport in Toluca--was made known. Veracruz's government announced it had accepted the resignation of the official and in the coming hours will announce who will replace him. ... State spokeswoman Gina Dominguez acknowledged that this is an unusual situation, but said no crime had been committed." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: PAN official asks for investigation of possible links to the election in the transfer of 25 million pesos

The National Action Party (PAN), the party of President Calderón, chimes in on the Veracruz money case.

Milenio: "The secretary for Goverment Action of PAN (National Action Party), Juan Molinar asked for an investigation into possible links between the (presidential) election and the transfer of 25 million pesos from the government of Veracruz to the state of Mexico. The PAN spokesman said there must be a thorough and specific investigation regarding the resources of the Veracruz administration that were seized.

"When there are 25 million pesos in two suitcases in a capital that has a PRI government, coming from the capital of another PRI government, one has the right to think that maybe something should be investigated there," he said. However, he admitted that, so far, the National Action Party has no specific facts on which to make a formal complaint, and he requested that the audit unit of IFE (Independent Election Commission) make the appropriate investigation of the case." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: PRD calls for clarification of the money claimed by Veracruz officials

The plot thickens in the story of the 25 million pesos found in the suitcases of two Veracruz government employees at the airport in Mexico State. The employees were first arrested and then released when the Veracruz state government said the cash was to pay bills for three state festivals.  In the heat of the presidential campaign--in which the PRI candidate and former Mexico State governor Enrique Peña Nieto is in the lead in the polls--the leftist party, PRD, smells a possible scandal and the blood that would go with it. 

Milenio: "The president of the PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution), Jesus Zambrano, charged that the 25 million pesos (about 1.8 million dollars) seized from Veracruz officials was being diverted to the presidential campaign of the PRI. Therefore, he demanded that the legal status and the origin of money be clarified.

The leader of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) discredited the attempt to justify the destination of the money--discovered by the Attorney General´s Office at the airport in Toluca, Mexico State--as being "to pay creditors," and being legally managed public money .

"We have total confidence that it is a diversion of resources from the state government (of Veracruz)" in favor of the PRI's presidential candidate (Enrique Peña Nieto), or "Is it, perhaps, dirty money from drug trafficking?" he expounded.

Zambrano warned that the truth ought not to be left unclear, "let alone the audacity of the government of Veracruz", which is demanding that federal authorities return the money...." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: Veracruz PGR requests the return of seized 25 million pesos

Mexico has a large "informal economy," up to 40% of the total, which is composed of street vendors and small enterprizes that operate outside the formal structure. In the formal economy, where businesses are registered with the government, taxes are paid and, in return, government social benefits such as health care are provided to employees. In the informal, cash economy, these taxes are avoided. By far, this Veracruz transaction is the biggest "informal" transaction we have heard of. 

CNN Mexico: "Two officials of the government of Veracruz who were carrying 25 million pesos in cash were arrested by Federal Police last Friday at the airport in Toluca, as confirmed by the Ministry of Finance of the state government. The federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) seized the cash, so on Monday the government of Veracruz reported that it is requesting the return of those funds.

According to the state government, the money was to be used to pay for "various events to be held in coming months," referring to the three busiest festivals in Veracruz already in process of being organized. This Tuesday the celebration of Candelaria Tlacotalpan begins, February 14 is the Veracruz Carnival and on March 17 is the Tajin Summit Conference. The state expects two and a half million tourists to attend the three festivals.

In the statement, the government said that the names of "collaborators" arrested are Said Zepeda and Miguel Morales, who were commissioned to carry the millions in cash. Both have been released. The 25 million "was sent to Mexico City" for hiring artists, assembly of scenery and production of promotional materials, said the finance secretary of the government of Veracruz, Tomas Ruiz Gonzalez. Of the total amount, two million would go to La Candelaria, 15 million for Carnival and eight million for the Tajin Summit.

In the statement the state authorities do not explain why these resources were sent in cash and not through a bank transaction. Tomas Ruiz explained that the transaction was justified according to the Financial Code of the State of Veracruz. However, he said the state government "will review the legal procedures to avoid such situations." "No crime was committed by the transportation of cash amounts, whose origin and destination are fully accredited by the appropriate authority," says the official announcement." Spanish original

Mexico Corruption: Global Financial Integrity Mexico Report

Center for International Policy: "Crime, corruption and tax evasion cost the Mexican economy more US$872 billion between 1970 and 2010 according to a new report from Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy organization. The illicit financial outflows, which averaged a massive 5.2% of GDP, grew significantly over the 41-year period studied from just US$1 billion in 1970 to US$68.5 billion in 2010.

“This is a devastatingly large amount of money for any developing country to lose,” said Raymond W. Baker, director of GFI. “This is $872 billion lost, which could have been used to develop the Mexican economy, to invest in education, to build roads, or to fight the drug cartels. The negative ramifications are huge for everyday Mexicans.”" read more

Mexico Corruption: Mexico’s Underground Economy and Illicit Money Outflows

Latin America's Moment: "Yesterday Global Financial Integrity released a new report, “Mexico: Illicit Financial Flows, Macroeconomic Imbalances, and the Underground Economy,” which provides an in-depth look at flows of illicit money from Mexico. The study finds that nearly $1 trillion in illicit capital left Mexico from 1970-2010, averaging about $50 billion a year this past decade.

... The report’s most interesting finding is that this illicit capital is not necessarily or mostly drug money. Instead it comes from Mexico’s large underground economy. In these markets the goods being traded are not necessarily in and of themselves illegal. What’s illegal is the under-the-table way that they are bought or sold. The report finds that the vast majority (80 percent) of the money leaving Mexico does so through a method called “trade mispricing”. " read more

Mexico Human Rights: No limit on federal spending for protection of journalists: Attorney General's Office

Milenio: "The deputy for legal and international affairs of the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR), Alejandro Ramos Flores, said the federal government will spare no expense to clarify and punish crimes against journalists in the country. This was stated after he received a delegation from the International PEN organization, headed by John Ralston Saul.

During the meeting with the organization, which promotes freedom of expression, the PGR official referred to the protective measures not only for journalists and communicators, but also those who write in print and electronic media. Ramos Flores stressed the importance of the Special Prosecutor for the attention to crimes against freedom of expression, saying that its results help to ensure the free exercise of journalism in Mexico.

He stressed that our country is going through a transition in terms of legal enforcement and administration of justice, and human rights protection, with two major constitutional reforms passed in 2008 and 2011. Finally, he said that there is a proposal in Congress to reform the federal criminal code so that it will included a special chapter on crimes committed against journalists and thereby give the PGR total authority for such acts." Spanish original

U.S.-Mexico Border: Camera gives glimpse of life in border state for New Mexico State University researcher

An introduction to the work of photojournalist Bruce Berman and his Border Blog. We invite you to take a look at the blog and listen to his words. He provides a very up-close and personal look at the realities of the border. In our own way, MexicoBlog and the Americas Program share his mission, "to go out and try to learn as much as (we) can and then give that information to an audience who might need to know what (we)'ve learned."

Las Cruces Sun-News: "Bruce Berman is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication and a researcher at New Mexico State University. He doesn't own any lab coats, just jeans with big enough pockets to hold his "Plan B" batteries, memory cards and lens filters. The closest thing he has to a laboratory is the iMac in his office. His high-tech instrument: the Nikon camera he always keeps around his neck or on the passenger seat right next to him while out and around the desert Southwest and the U.S./Mexico border region.

"If you are doing good journalism, you are finding information for other people to use," Berman said of his style of research. "My job is to go out and try to learn as much as I can and then give that information to an audience who might need to know what I've learned."" read more

Drug War and the Rule of Law: Law-Abiding Mexicans Taking Up Illegal Guns

NPR: "In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market.

After an outbreak of violence, one embattled community in northern Mexico called Colonia LeBaron has begun to ask if it's time for the country to address its gun laws." read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Writers condemn violence against Mexico journalists

BBC News: "A host of international authors - including seven Nobel laureates - have called for an end to attacks on journalists in Mexico. The writers took out a full page advert in Mexican newspaper El Universal to defend the right of all journalists to be free from fear and censorship.

The statement by the PEN International writers group was signed by 170 of the world's most acclaimed authors.  PEN says 67 journalists have been murdered in Mexico since 2000." read more

Drug War Weapons Traffic: Justice Department Changes Inquiry Response Procedures To Congress After Fast And Furious

Fox News: "The Justice Department is tightening procedures for responding to information requests from Congress in the aftermath of a troubled arms trafficking investigation. ... The Justice Department told three congressional committees in a letter Friday night that it has improved coordination between agents and their managers in carrying out arms trafficking investigations.

... Some ATF agents with direct knowledge of what had gone on with Operation Fast and Furious were talking to Congressman Grassley's office. In contrast, the Justice Department was relying on information from top ATF officials in Washington and the U.S. attorney in Phoenix, who all incorrectly denied that ATF was allowing weapons purchases by "straw" buyers to transport guns into Mexico.

In the letter to Congress on Friday night, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the department must solicit information directly from employees with detailed personal knowledge of the subject matter at issue and consult records relevant to the inquiry if such records are available." read more

Mexico Politics: Veracruz government employee caught at airport carrying 25 million pesos in cash

See followup article reporting that the Veracruz state government says this was part of a legitimate transaction to pay for services at three festivals in Veracruz and it wants the cash back. The arrested men have been released.

Mexico has a large "informal economy," up to 40% of the total, which is composed of street vendors and small enterprizes that operate outside the formal structure. In the formal economy, where businesses are registered with the government, taxes are paid and, in return, government social benefits such as health care are provided to employees. In the informal, cash economy, these taxes are avoided. By far, this Veracruz transaction is the biggest "informal" transaction we have heard of.

Milenio: "The federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) is investigating the origin of 25 million pesos (about $1,800,000 dollars) that were found in the suitcase of a Veracruz government employee at the airport in Toluca, Mexico State on Jan. 27.  Authorities reported that Miguel Morales Robles was handed over to federal authorities to determine the source of the cash and the probable commission of any crime.  Morales Robles arrived at the Toluca airport from Jalapa, Veracruz, (the state capital) and could not explain the origin or destination of the money." Spanish original 

Drug Legalization: Colombia President Calls Drug War a “Stationary Bike”

Pan-American Post: "President Juan Manuel Santos expressed more support for the legalization of illicit drugs while speaking at a panel at the Cartagena Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. As Semana reports, his remarks followed a comment by another panelist, Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramirez, who stated, “I know this cannot be an opinion of the state and the president of a republic cannot express this, but as an ordinary citizen, I can. The solution is decriminalizing drugs.”

Santos responded: ¨And I say it as president of a republic: this solution would be acceptable to Colombia, if the rest of the world goes along.” " read more

Drug War: 'El Chapo' Guzmán, Mexico's most powerful drug lord, gets the U.S. to help him

Newsweek.The Daily Beast: "How Sinaloa cartel boss 'El Chapo' Guzmán got U.S. agents to help him become Mexico's most powerful drug lord." read more

Drug War: The Carnage In Mexico: Do We Care?

Huffington Post: "The U.S. has given birth to the killing fields of Mexico. Does that even matter, at all, to those in this country who are in a position do something about it? American drug policy, and our gutless, unreasoned refusal to change it, has caused the epic violence south of the border." read more

Immigration Politics: Mitt Romney on Immigration: Four New Takeaways and Gutierrez’ Reaction

Fox News Latino: "On Friday, Romney spoke about immigration to an audience of over 600 Hispanic leaders at the Hispanic Leadership Network, a center-right advocacy group, conference in Miami. The conference was co-chaired by former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Here are three takeaways from Governor Romney's remarks followed by Secretary Gutierrez' reaction.

#1To protect legal immigration, stop illegal immigration.
• Build a better fence.
• Have enough personnel to protect the border.
• Put a card and verification system in place that works, allowing employers to know immediately whether or not a job applicant is authorized to work.
• Crack down aggressively on employers that hire people who are not authorized to work.

#2: Implement constructive solutions for people waiting to immigrate legally and for people who immigrated illegally and live in the U.S.
• For the 4.5 million people waiting to immigrate legally, make legal immigration easier and more transparent.
• For the 11+ million people who immigrated illegally and live in the U.S., they’d need to get a temporary work permit, return to their home country to apply for residency (“self-deportation”), and get in line with those waiting to immigrate legally.

#3: Substantially expand legal immigration, including implementation of a program that matches visas to employers’ needs in all sectors..”" read more

Immigration Politics - Washington State: Farmers, immigrants unite against E-Verify

Seattle Times: "In Olympia (Washington state capital), it's not too often immigrant-advocacy groups and farmers are on the same side of a proposed bill. But the unlikely allies have teamed up in this session of the Legislature to push a measure aimed at stopping more cities and counties from adopting a federal program that checks an individual's eligibility to work in the U.S." read more

Mexico Drug Violence : 'Business is Business'

Translated and posted by our compañeros at World Meets Us.

La Jornada, Mexico: ""The most serious element of these policies of war and business is not only the fact that such massive expenditures are being spent on the destruction of our country, but that it is now a business that benefits Mexican 'entrepreneurs' who are in collusion with President Calderón. … Obama's 'war on drugs' has resulted in gigantic business opportunities for companies tied to the interests of the U.S. Democratic Party."" read more

Drug War - Fast and Furious: Obama administration reveals new ATF gun probe rules

Reuters/chicagotribune.com: " The Obama administration on Friday revealed new reforms undertaken to improve how it conducts undercover gun trafficking investigations in the wake of a botched operation in which scores of weapons disappeared.

The reforms require additional oversight of undercover operations, including those that involve more than 50 firearms, and, in most cases, ends the practice of paying gun dealers to serve as confidential informants. Additionally, a new review committee has been established to monitor sensitive undercover cases or those that would have a "significant regional or national impact," according to theJustice Department." read more

Drug War - Fast and Furious: Justice Department official suggested to Mexican officials letting guns cross border

AP/Washington Post: "Newly released Justice Department emails sent to Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry into a gun-smuggling operation indicate that the head of the department’s criminal division suggested letting some illicit “straw” weapons buyers in the U.S. transport their guns across the border into Mexico where they could be arrested.

According to the emails turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday night, the Justice official, Lanny Breuer, made the suggestion to Mexican officials because it “may send a strong message to arms traffickers.”" read more

Immmigration Politics: California's Catholic hierarchy takes stand against illegal-immigration dragnet

San Jose Mercury News: "The Bay Area's biggest religious institution, the Catholic Church, is throwing its weight against a federal immigration dragnet that in the past two years deported more than 6,500 people from the region.

As Republican presidential contenders clash ... over the harshness or softness of their stands on illegal immigration, Catholic priests here and across the country are championing a humanitarian approach and condemning what they describe as "selfish" demagoguery.

"It is heartbreaking to hear the painful stories of unjust deportations pouring in from our congregations. California can do better," San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer said " read more

Immigration Politics: 'Inexcusable' language on immigration alienating Latino voters, Republicans told

guardian.co.uk: "Senior Republicans including the brother of the former president George Bush have warned the party to avoid using "harsh, intolerable and inexcusable" language about illegal immigration or risk alienating Latino voters. The Florida senator, Marco Rubio, and the state's former governor Jeb Bush made their appeal before Tuesday's primary, being contested by Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

The Republican frontrunners clashed over illegal immigration in a debate earlier this week. The issue is emotive in Florida, which has the third largest Latino population in America." read more

Drug War's Invisible Victims

A report from Americas Program director, Laura Carlsen, who is traveling this week with the Nobel Women's Initiative through Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

FPIF: "It’s rare to hear the voices of the women who bear the brunt of the drug war. Their pain doesn’t make headlines. Some need anonymity to remain alive. Many have been granted protective measures by the government or international human rights organizations because of the extreme threats they face.

Despite all these difficulties, some 70 women told their stories amid tears and despite fear for their lives in Mexico City on January 22. The meeting called by the Nobel Women’s Initiative brought an international delegation led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams together with Mexican women victims of the violence and women human rights defenders." read more

Week's Top Articles on Mexico: Jan. 20-26, 2012

Human rights and the rule of law dominated the news this week in Mexico. Human Rights Watch reported that, in fighting the drug war, security forces in Mexico have committed numerous human rights violations and that soldiers enjoy impunity in these cases.

The Mexican government initially issued a detailed critique of the report. But by the end of the week, it was making more conciliatory statements about its "openness" to the work of human rights organizations such as HRW.

Mexican human rights organizations welcomed the report for linking the government's strategy to worsening violence and reinforcing their demand for a change in security policy.

At the same time, the Nobel Women's Peace Initiative began a ten-day investigative tour of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to focus on femicides, other abuses of women and government impunity regarding these human rights violations. Indigenous women of Guerrero presented particularly powerful testimonies.

Drug war news brings a new year's assessment of shifts in drug cartel power. The Stratfor security group concluded that the Sinaloa and Zeta cartels have consolidated their control of the drug trade and territory, each dominating about half of Mexico's 31 states. Possibly related to this, the army announced that it was adding five new bases in northern states ravaged by battles with and between cartels.

Meanwhile, data obtained by the Mexican Institute for Access to Information showed that less than 50% of those arrested on federal charges--including organized crime and drug trafficking--in the past five years were actually held for trial. (Murder is a state, not a federal, offense.)

Finally, there is the powerful and poignant story, as told by the local priest, of how the drug trade is devastating the youth in the Tarahumara Mountains of Chihuahua state.

Immigration and border news centered on the Obama administration's pilot review of deportation cases, with a goal of closing those of migrants who pose "no security risk". Some 16% qualified. However, this is no relief for undocumented migrants who are not in deportation proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Applied Research Center reports on the sorry fate of children who are placed in foster care when their parents are detained or deported for lack of valid visas. And data released by the government reveals that fewer undocumented immigrants are crossing the border multiple times in a single year.

And lastly, anthropologist Jason De Leon collects worn sneakers, dirty backpacks and empty water bottles in the Sonoran desert to document the stories of migrants' struggles, hopes and determination in crossing the desert into the U.S..

The Articles 

Human Rights and Rule of Law

Violence has increased horribly in Mexico, says Human Rights Watch
Milenio: ""We have evidence that violence has increased in Mexico horribly in recent years and that there is no system for judging the military so that there is justice." " read more

HRW report does not reflect real situation in Mexico: Interior Ministry 
Milenio: "The federal government said that the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW)... contains categorical and generalized statements about the country that do not reflect the real situation in Mexico." read more

Mexico open to public scrutiny on human rights: Secretary of Interior Poiré
Milenio: "Mexico is open to public scrutiny on the matter of human rights and will attend to the recommendations, criticisms and concerns of the various organizations on the basis of solid, consistent and verifiable information." read more

Mexican human rights groups demand change in anti-crime policy
La Jornada: The report, (civic organization leaders) said, is important because "it indicates that the strategy has exacerbated the violence in the country, and we insist that the liability is Calderón's, because his policies foster a climate of serious human rights violations." read more

Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams denounces impunity for femicides in Mexico
EFE/CNN Mexico: "The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jody Williams, denounced impunity regarding crimes against women in Mexico... Her visit is part of an investigation being carried out by the Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú regarding murders of women in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala." read more

Nobel Women´s Initiative hears testimony of indigenous women of Guerrero
La Jornada: "Militarization, organized crime, rape by soldiers and police and impunity, neglectful bureaucracy and abuse of authority, plunder, murder and extreme labor exploitation, and the customary assumption that women, or "the old women"--to put it in their terms--are useless. These are the themes of stories told to the Nobel Women's Initiative by indigenous women of Guerrero. read more

Drug War

Polarization and Sustained Violence in Mexico's Cartel War
Stratfor: "Over the past year it has ... become evident that a polarization is under way among (Mexican) cartels. Most smaller groups (or remnants of groups) have been subsumed by the Sinaloa Federation, which controls much of western Mexico, and Los Zetas, who control much of eastern Mexico. ... these two groups have solidified themselves as the country's predominant forces. " read more

Mexico Plans 5 New Military Bases in Zeta Territory
InSight Crime: "Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation. Four bases will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both among the northern border states most affected by drug violence." read more

Of 463,000 arrested in 5 years, only 215,000 were charged with crimes
La Jornada: "Since December 2006... 463,000 suspects were arrested on federal charges, of which 163,000 were considered members of organized crime,  17,000 were allegedly drug dealers and 6,500 were allegedly members of gangs of kidnappers. However, on average only four in 10, i.e., 215,000, were detained and the rest were released by the Federal Public Ministry."  Spanish original

Drug trade, not a lack of food, the biggest problem in the mountains of Chihuahua
La Jornada: "Though it is very serious, the greatest crisis in this part of the Tarahumara Mountains in Chihuahua is not the food shortage, but the presence of narcotrafficking and its quota of violence: “the Rarámuri communities are being crucified by organized crime.” read more

Immigration and the Border

In Test of Deportation Policy, 1 in 6 Offered Reprieve 
NYTimes.com: "A review of virtually all 7,900 deportation cases before the immigration court (in Denver) has identified about 1,300 foreigners — 16 percent — who pose no security risk and will be allowed to remain in the United States, although with no new legal status...The Department of Homeland Security plans to extend the review to 300,000 deportation cases before the courts nationwide." read more

Mixed feelings about deportation reviews, even from ‘low priority’ immigrants
scpr.org.Multi-American: "Immigration officials reviewing deportation case files ... in Denver and Baltimore indicated that 1,600 people will be spared deportation, allowing them to stay in the country. ... Stuck in the middle are people who fit the low-priority criteria but are not in deportation proceedings." read more

Immigrant Children Face Uncertain Futures, Foster Care
Huffington Post: "More than 5,000 children of immigrants are ... in state foster care nationwide because their parents ... were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities. ... A report by the Applied Research Center (ARC) found that when immigration enforcement methods intersect with the child welfare system, consequences for immigrant families can be devastating and long-lasting." read more

Captured crossers returning less often
azstarnet.com: "Fewer illegal immigrants are crossing the border multiple times in a single year.... The percentage of people apprehended two or more times by the Border Patrol within the same fiscal year ... has declined each of the last four years, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The rate was 20 percent in fiscal 2011, down from 28 percent in fiscal 2007, the report says." read more

Researcher Documents Belongings Left Behind While Crossing The Border
Huffington Post: "Not many people consider the human side of immigration, let alone document the belongings left behind by the migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. ... Each object tells a story of struggle, hope and determination. Recently, anthropologists began to collect them "to provide insight into the realities" of  migration." read more

Immigration Politics: Debating Amnesty and Immigration Policy

From the blog of Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations

Latin America's Moment: " Mexican migrants--given the combination of absolute number caps on legal visas combined with the large number of Mexican family members here, parents, kids, and siblings--have to make the choice of growing up (for years potentially) apart, waiting for a legal family visas, or coming illegally. So do you want to wait and do the paper work and hope you get to see your 4 year old when he/she is 8-9 years old? Or do you bring them illegally? That is an inhumane law, and should be changed." read more

Border Control: New Fences Block Access To U.S.-Mexico Border Monuments

An interesting article about another unforeseen consequence of barricading the border with Mexico.

Fronteras Desk: "Before there was a fence, all that marked the border between Mexico and the United States were stone and steel monuments, 276 of them dotting the southwestern landscape. They were installed by Mexican and American surveyors starting in 1850, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and the two countries agreed to define their shared border.

But as the U.S. Border Patrol has reinforced the boundary with a new fence, many of these bi-national monuments have been left entirely on the Mexican side of the barriers." read more

Drug Violence in Mexico--Graphs of the data

Rehab International:

This link, provided via Global Post, is to a very clear, graphic presentation of data about the drug war in Mexico--number of deaths per year, distribution across the 31 Mexican states--and main facts about the various cartels.

Drug War Bloodshed: In Mexico, eight men are executed in downtown Monterrey

latimes.com: "Eight men were executed and left on the street early Thursday in downtown Monterrey, in the latest outburst of violence to buffet the industrial northern city." read more

Drug War Militarization: Security contractors see opportunities, and limits, in Mexico

The Washington Post: "With the Iraq war over and the American presence waning in Afghanistan, U.S. security contractors are looking for new prospects in Mexico, where spreading criminal violence has created a growing demand for battle-ready professionals." read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Mexico open to public scrutiny on human rights: Secretary of Interior Poiré

Milenio: "Mexico is open to public scrutiny on the matter of human rights and will attend to the recommendations, criticisms and concerns of the various organizations on the basis of solid, consistent and verifiable information, Interior Minister Alejandro Poire affirmed.

At the opening of the annual National Meeting of Directors of Civil Protection, he acknowledged and supported the efforts made in this regard by the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), and assured his respect for the efforts of international organizations of all kinds, such as Human Rights Watch (HRW).

... Poire said that through the security strategy that the federal government is leading to reduce crime rates "we are sowing the seeds of a more just, prosperous and secure Mexico." Precisely in the pursuit of that justice, he explained, "the Mexican state and the government of President Felipe Calderon shares, has made its own and has so demonstrated, the primary and essential goal of protecting, promoting and defending human rights."

He said that there is no doubt that Mexico has complete conviction that human rights is a task for all, that is, for authorities, civil society organizations and autonomous bodies specializing in the field, both within the country and abroad. Poire said it is a responsibility to so be, "and we remain open to criticism, because that way we can move forward faster in the protection of the rights of our citizens."" Spanish original

Drug War Strategy: Mexico Plans 5 New Military Bases in Zeta Territory

InSight Crime: "Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation ... according to the newspaper Excelsior. Four bases will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both among the northern border states most affected by drug violence, ...

The initiative comes as part of the government's drive to reinstate control in areas where criminal groups have, in some cases, overrun local authorities The Mexican Department of Defense stated that installing greater military presence in these areas will help return the rule of law, reports Excelsior." read more

Human Rights Violations: Nuevo Leon government demands that police who claim they were tortured present their accusations

CNN Mexico: "The government of the northern state of Nuevo Leon demanded that the Monterrey municipal police who, on Tuesday night made accusations of torture by the State Investigation Agency (IEA), present their evidence to prove or clarify responsibility, the government spokesman for state security, Jorge Domene Zambrano, said at a press conference.

On Tuesday night, three presumed municipal police, wearing hoods, appeared at police headquarters in Monterrey, the state capital, where they held a press conference to make accusations that they were tortured by elements of the State Investigation Agency (IEA).

The complainants say they were tortured during an operation by the State and the Army on January 21 as part of the police security purification process at municipal police headquarters. The state spokesman said that  a total of 109 policemen had been retained that day, of which 60 were released the same day.

Five policemen continue to be held in the facilities of the AEI "because they appear to have links to some previous investigatons," while another 44 were taken that day to the University for Security Sciences, where they are being evaluated, explained Domene Zambrano.

"We reiterate the official position of the state government is to attend to this and, if necessary, punish those responsible, if this is true, or (determine) if it is a falsehood, which the statements of these individuals can turn out to be," he added. ... The spokesman stated that identity of the persons who publicly made accusations of  alleged human rights violations is unknown and demanded that the municipal police department provide their identity.

... The State Ombudsman, Minerva Martinez announced that the Human Rights Commission (CEDHNL) has opened an inquiry to investigate these events, and invited the police to file a complaint with the agency. "I guarantee the safety of these people and their privacy," she said. The attorney general of Nuevo Leon, Adrian de la Garza Santos, reiterated that "total protection" will be provided to the alleged victims and he invited them to approach the authorities to file their complaint." Spanish original 

Drug War: Prosecutor says 5 police officers shot dead outside Mexico City tried to extort suspects

Note: this prosecutor´s statement is based on the statements of supposed members of a drug cartel as to why they called in an attack on the police.

AP/Washington Post: "Mexican authorities say five police officers fatally shot near Mexico City after stopping a car were trying to extort money when they were attacked.

Mexico State prosecutor Alfredo Castillo says the officers from the town of Ixtapaluca (Ees-tah-pah-lu-ca) asked the four La Familia Michoacana cartel members in the vehicle for 6,000 pesos (about $460) to let them go." read more

Immigration Politics: Romney, Gingrich fireworks over immigration

CBS News: "With Florida's Republican presidential primary just days away ... the campaign took an ugly turn Wednesday, as sparks flew between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich over the issue of immigration.

Gingrich started the day's slug-fest --- sounding incredulous that Romney would say illegal immigrants should -- in Romney's words -- self-deport. In other words, leave on their own. "I think," Gingrich said, "you have to live in worlds of Swiss bank accounts and Cayman Island accounts and automatic $20 million a year income with no work to have some fantasy this far from reality."

Romney fired back -- saying Gingrich is also on the record for supporting the idea that illegal immigrants will leave the country if they're denied work. Said Romney, "I recognize that it's very tempting to come out to an audience like this and pander to the audience. ... I think that's unbecoming of a presidential candidate."" read more

Immigration Crackdown: Immigrant Children Face Uncertain Futures, Foster Care

Huffington Post: "More than 5,000 children of immigrants are languishing in state foster care nationwide because their parents were living in the United States illegally and were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities.

These children can spend years in foster homes, and some are put up for adoption after termination of their parents' custody rights.With neither state nor federal officials addressing the problem, thousands more are poised to enter the child welfare system every year.

... A recent report by the Applied Research Center (ARC), a national racial-justice think thank, found that when immigration enforcement methods intersect with the child welfare system, consequences for immigrant families can be devastating and long-lasting." read more

Immigration: Mexican actor hopes Oscar nod will help migrants

AFP: "Mexican actor Demian Bichir hopes his surprise Oscar nod for "A Better Life" will raise awareness about the 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States. ... Bichir told reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday that "now more people will know who I am," -- but drawing attention to the difficulties faced by undocumented workers in the United States would be the "real prize", he added.

He expressed hope that "A Better Life" -- the story of a father trying to protect his son from the gang culture and immigration policing of Los Angeles -- would do for illegal migrants what "Philadelphia", the 1993 AIDS drama starring Tom Hanks, did for the gay community in America" read more

Mexico Rule of Law: Relative of victim says fear hinders reconstruction of the facts of Casino Royal attack

CNN Mexico: Fear inhibits the reconstruction of the facts of the tragedy in the Casino Royal in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, where, on August 25, 2011, 52 people were killed. So stated Edmundo Jimenez Ramirez, a relative of one of the victims of the attack, to the press during a meeting of families of the victims.

"The problem is the issue of witnesses. We are hopeful. There are people who were present who took notice of everything bad about (the establishment)," he said. "People don't want to get into trouble, because there is fear, which we all have."

This Wednesday afternoon, five months after the attack, a dozen mourners gathered outside the casino to pray for the victims and demand punishment of the authorities for crimes of omission or commission and to require changes to the law to provide more security in this type of establishment.

Without specifying whether the fear is of the authorities or organized crime, Jimenez Ramirez said that, so far, there are three people who are willing to give their statements for the reconstruction of events, including two who lost relatives in the attack.

Samara Pérez Muñiz, a survivor of the attack, estimated that at least 10 people are necessary for a comprehensive reconstruction of the event and to refute the results of the official investigation of the casino fire, which concluded that the tragedy was inevitable." Spanish original

Drug War: Polarization and Sustained Violence in Mexico's Cartel War

Stratfor security group's assessment of the results of the drug war in Mexico in 2011. The main conclusions: even more deaths than 2010 and two cartels consolidate their control of the drug trade and territory.

Stratfor: "Over the past year it has ... become evident that a polarization is under way among (Mexican) cartels. Most smaller groups (or remnants of groups) have been subsumed by the Sinaloa Federation, which controls much of western Mexico, and Los Zetas, who control much of eastern Mexico. While a great deal has been said about the fluidity of the Mexican cartel landscape, these two groups have solidified themselves as the country's predominant forces. " read more

Border Crackdown: Captured crossers returning less often

azstarnet.com: "Fewer illegal immigrants are crossing the border multiple times in a single year, never-before-released government numbers show. The percentage of people apprehended two or more times by the Border Patrol within the same fiscal year - known as the recidivism rate - has declined each of the last four years, shows a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The rate was 20 percent in fiscal 2011, down from 28 percent in fiscal 2007, the report says.

... The report also reveals that nearly 60 percent of apprehended border crossers are being sent home through programs intended to make it tougher for them to cross again, and that fewer than 1 percent of all people apprehended by the Border Patrol have been convicted of major crimes. The report is the latest metric indicating that the flow of illegal immigrants, especially from Mexico, has slowed." read more

Immigration Crackdown: Companies pay millions for hiring illegal immigrants

Houston Chronicle: "When U.S. immigration agents scoured the hiring paperwork on file at Advanced Containment System Inc. last year, they found identification cards supposedly issued by the "Texas Department of Safety." Words including "identification" and "department" were misspelled. One ID card even had the words "novelty item" typed on the back. Some 44 percent of the company's Houston workforce from 2005 to 2009 was in the country illegally and was paid an estimated $2 million during that time, the audit showed.

On Tuesday, U.S. immigration officials and federal prosecutors announced they had reached a $2 million settlement with ACSI in exchange for avoiding criminal prosecution." read more

Drug War Money Laundering: Bus passengers get prison in Texas cash smuggling case

Another inventive attempt to smuggle money across the border. 

Reuters: "A federal judge sentenced a busload of passengers to prison terms of up to three years for their role in a foiled smuggling operation to ferry more than $3.1 million in cash into Mexico, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson said on Tuesday.

The sentences came after federal agents stopped a southbound commercial bus at the Hidalgo, Texas international bridge, about 240 miles south of San Antonio, in September 2010. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched 17 pieces of luggage on the bus and found cash stuffed inside deflated Coleman air mattresses packed in each bag, a criminal complaint said. Agents seized $3.19 million in cash from the bags and arrested all 13 passengers aboard the bus.

The passengers all admitted to their role in the smuggling ring, saying they were recruited to move the cash into Mexico. They expected to be paid as much as $8,000 to courier the currency across the border." read more

Drug War Weapons Traffic: First Convictions From Fast And Furious Gun Probe

First Convictions From Fast And Furious Gun Probe | Fox News: "Two men pleaded guilty to buying guns that were destined to be smuggled into Mexico, the first convictions in the federal government's botched Operation Fast and Furious. The men were so-called "straw buyers" who acknowledged purchasing guns that they knew were headed to Mexican drug gangs.

... Jacob Wayne Chambers and Jacob Anthony Montelongo each pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to a conspiracy charge. Montelongo also pleaded guilty to dealing guns without a license. The pair admitted being part of a 20-person smuggling ring that is accused of running guns into Mexico for use by the Sinaloa drug cartel." read more

Drug War Bloodshed: 5 Police Officers Killed in Mexico

AP/NYTimes.com: "Officials said that five police officers had been fatally shot after they stopped a vehicle in a town outside Mexico City. A prosecutor, Alfredo Castillo Cervantes of Mexico State, said the police officers from the town of Ixtapaluca had stopped the vehicle on Monday when a taxi and a van pulled up and a group of attackers opened fire with high-powered weapons." read more

The Rarámuri Crisis: Extreme Poverty (Briefly) to the Fore in Mexico

A clear look at the crisis brought on by the combination of drought and poverty for the Rarámuri indigenous peoples of Chihuahua. See also AMB's translation of an interview with a local priest. 

upsidedownworld.org: "In the midst of Mexico’s senseless “Drug War” and the erroneous belief that drug-trafficking is the root of the country’s evils, Mexicans were given a powerful reminder last week of the deeper crisis affecting their fellow citizens. A video posted on social media sites concerning a severe drought in the state of Chihuahua saw the extreme poverty and malnutrition afflicting the region’s indigenous population highlighted in the media for a brief few days.

Chihuahua, a vast, dry and mountainous state bordering Texas and New Mexico, is home to several indigenous groups, the largest of which, the Rarámuri (or Tarahumara), inhabit the region surrounding one of Mexico’s most spectacular natural wonders, the Barranca del Cobre, or Copper Canyon. " read more

Drug War: Mexico Officials report 'El Chapo' Aide Killed In Gunfight

AP/NPR: "Members of a Mexican army special forces unit fatally shot a high-ranking aide to the country's most-wanted drug dealer in a gunfight in the northern state of Durango, officials said Monday. Luis Alberto Cabrera Sarabia was responsible for the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel in Durango and part of the neighboring state of Chihuahua." read more

Human Rights Violations: Nobel Women´s Initiative hears testimony of indigenous women of Guerrero

La Jornada: "Militarization, organized crime, rape by soldiers and police and impunity, neglectful bureaucracy and abuse of authority, plunder, murder and extreme labor exploitation, and--as background--the custom that assumes that women, or "the old women"-to put it on their terms, are useless. Dozens of women's stories from Mepha (Tlapanecas), Na Savi (Mixteco), Sul Jaá (Amuzgo) and Nahua (Nahuatl) tumbled out in this morning's meeting of indigenous women of Guerrero with the international delegation of the Nobel Women's Initiative, organized by the Tlachinollan organization, based in the Tlapa Mountain region.

In the dialogue, which seeks to enhance the visibility of these struggles in North America, narratives of historical cases were shared.

One such is the decades-long pilgrimage of Tita Radilla to determine the whereabouts of her father, Rosendo Radilla, who disappeared in the seventies, one among more than 500 victims of the dirty war. Since their first complaint to the Attorney General's Office (PGR), then the fraudulent transfer to the military courts (where, despite the case for responsibility built against a general, he went free), contiuing with a failed Special Prosecutor for Social and Political Movements (FEMOSPP), not a single case was clarified until presented to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission. And although there is a conviction against the Mexican state from that court, there has not been compliance with any of the actions required by the government, as there is no political will to enforce it, Tita concludes

... The widows of the two leaders of the Mixteco People's Organization in Ayutla, also testified, Margarita Martin de las Nieves, wife of Manuel Ponce, and Guadalupe Castro, wife of  Raul Lopez, murdered in 2009. They spoke not only of the repressive situation behind the killings, but also of their condition as widows, so lonely, so abandoned, in a social environment that does not give them any right to govern their own lives, harassed and discriminated against by their in-laws.

Also, from Ayutla de los Libres came the story of Obdulia Eugenio Manuel. She tells how in 1994, along with the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas and a measles epidemic that filled the church in their community, Guadalupe Canyon, with piled corpses, the military arrived. Years later, in 2002, that same military violently raped the indigenous women, Valentina Rosendo and Ines Fernandez, which led to another landmark ruling of the Interamerican Court against the Mexican government. ... Being a defender of human rights in that community, such as Obdulia is, is seen as a threat to local authorities, and therefore makes one the target of systematic threats of death.

"I go and tell the Attorney General the names of those that threaten me and all they do is send me to testify again and again. And send me insulting means of security, which are nothing more than video cameras that monitor the office that we have--she is president of the organization  Mepha Women--and they don't work. The last time I spoke to them, I told them to take their fucking stuff, " she says without embarrassment.

Then there are the shared experiences of personal resilience, such as the women who come from  Metlatónoc  and Cochoapa, considered the two of the poorest municipalities in the country. There young girls, in order to go to middle school have had to overcome the ancestral resistance of their  parents and siblings, and who, to express  their identity, embroider huipiles (traditional blouses). They recognize, as does Martina Sierra, head of the civil association Savi Yoko, that "we love our roots, but we also see that our ancestors had discriminatory practices against women and we rebel against it."" Spanish original

Human Rights Violations: HRW demands that the next Mexican government review anti-crime strategy

La Jornada: "The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), on Monday, called on the next government of Mexico to review its strategy against organized crime and drug cartels, which, in its view, increased violence and human rights abuses in the country. "It appears that the current strategy is not working," the Americas director for the organization ... José Miguel Vivanco, told a news conference in Washington.

The future government, which will be elected ... in July, has to ask itself if it should continue using the Army, currently deployed within the strategy of the government of Felipe Calderón, "against a problem which is political and judicial." Is the Army in a position ready to continue this fight? Or is it an entity that is not subordinate to civil authority? My opinion is the latter, said Vivanco.

In its global report released on Sunday, HRW reported serious human rights violations by Mexican military, along with great impunity in the face of these facts. The Military Attorney  opened 3,671 cases regarding possible abuses between 2007 and 2011, but there have been only 15 convictions, the organization highlighted .

Mexico's government, on Monday, rejected the accusations, assuring that the 50,000 soldiers deployed to combat organized crime do their work in strict compliance with the requirements of public safety.

Vivanco regretted that Mexico continues a general attitude of inflexibility, blindly going forward with a policy that pays off according to them, but according to all the figures shows that there is increasing violence and abuse at the same time.

He issued a challenge to the government of Mexico to explain how it can say that 95 percent of the nearly 50,000 people who have died from the violence of organized crime in the past five years are drug dealers, even though it has opened investigations in less than a thousand cases. The figure is minimal in relation to the severity and number of violations or abuses or murders that have occurred in the context of the fight against drug trafficking.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Mexico is a country open to human rights organizations, and related that recently he had a positive meeting with Calderon, who said he expects real and concrete changes in regard to human rights in the time that remains for his government." Spanish original

Human Rights Violations: The Army adheres to the law in the fight against crime: military prosecutor responds to HRW

La Jornada: "The Army's commitment to strictly adhere to the law in the war on drugs has cost soldiers and the institution itself, as more than 100 soldiers have been "disappeared or seized" after appearing in federal or local courts to testify regarding their intervention in matters which resulted in criminal proceedings in civil matters, according to the military prosecutor, Gen. Jesus Gabriel López Benítez.

After rejecting categorically the contents of the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which states that there is impunity for soldiers who violate human rights, General López Benítez said yesterday in an interview with La Jornada that the situation is so delicate that he has requested the Judiciary of the Federation to allow military personnel involved in criminal proceedings--because of their being involved in shootings, arrests and searches involving organized crime--to appear via video conference or to testify before judges in their own locality.

He revealed that soldiers who took part in high-impact operations, such as in Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Chihuahua, ... are cited then to appear as witnesses after they returned to their headquarters in other states. Months later, when trials are underway, federal judges subpoena them and the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), in accordance with the law, sends the soldiers to their court appearance.

However, he said, is that the vast majority of the 123 soldiers "disappeared or seized" so far in this administration, never returned home after testifying or afer they had left their barracks. There is evidence that when the soldiers were heading to the bus station, after having testified, they were loaded onto trucks by armed men and, after that, nothing was heard of them. Organized crime solicits the appearance of soldiers who served in operations against organized crime and make them appear for revenge. That would not happen if soldiers acted with impunity, he said.

After disqualifying the latest HRW report, the military regretted that for the preparation of that document the organization did not take into account even the data that the Department of Defense publishes at its website.

The prosecutor also said that in every incident involving civilians, two criminal investigations are immediately opened, one by the Military Office, and one by the local attorney General's Office, as appropriate. Once the process is moving forward, the military judge decides whether to decline jurisdiction, but that does not mean impunity.

The officer reiterated the military's interest in demonstrating its commitment to legality and respect for human rights." Spanish original

Human Rights Violations: HRW report does not reflect real situation in Mexico: Interior Ministry

Milenio: "The federal government said that the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the status of Human Rights in the World, contains categorical and generalized statements about the country that do not reflect the real situation in Mexico. The Secretary of the Interior (Interior Ministry) said in a statement that "the number of complaints (in the HRW annual report) does not represent in any way the number of acts that violate human rights."

In response to the HRW report content, the agency said that of the 98 recommendations issued by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), 266 soldiers have been indicted or subject to legal process and  29 convictions have been issued.

The statement further highlighted that on December 9, 2011, President Felipe Calderón instructed the Federal Executive Counsel and Secretary of the Interior, Alejandro Poire, to coordinate efforts with the legislature to move forward an initiative by the President that seeks to amend the Code of Military Justice, in order to meet the criteria of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) and the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN).

In addition, both the armed forces and the Attorney General's Office (PGR) are exploring mechanisms for find ing a way--without violating the law--to transfer jurisdiction from military prosecutors in favor the Public Ministry and civil judges when military personnel participate in human rights violations.

... The statement clarified that Alejandro Poire sent a formal response to the HRW report regarding Mexico, which was presented on the November 9, 2011, and that "for various methodological reasons discussed at length there, (the report) does not reflect the real situation in Mexico."

He said that only in this administration, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has received 6,065 complaints about operations of the Department of Defense, of which only 98, i.e., 1.61 percent of the total resulted in recommendations. One hundred percent of the recommendations have been adopted by the National Defense and are in process of being fulfilled.

The statement also referred to the President´s commitment to freedom of expression and ensuring protection of journalists who have reported threats to the Committee to Protect Journalists. He said that in 100 percent of the cases of which the Committee is aware, security measures have been implemented  that ensure the security and integrity of journalists." Spanish original

Drug trade, not a lack of food, the biggest problem in the mountains of Chihuahua: local priest

A powerfull and poignant story of how the drug trade is devastating the youth in the Tarahumara Mountains of Chihuahua state, as told by the local priest.  Translated by Michael Kane, CIP intern.

La Jornada: "Though it is very serious, the greatest crisis in this part of the Tarahumara Mountains in Chihuahua is not the food shortage, but the presence of narcotrafficking and its quota of violence: “the Rarámuri communities are being crucified by organized crime.”

In an interview, the pastor of the village of Creel and general vicar of the diocese, Hector Fernando Martinez, who has worked in the area for 17 years tending to 39 communities, vehemently repeats himself. This past Wednesday he reminded Governor Cesar Duarte of that fact at a public event in the community of San Ignacio organized to distribute emergency food that the state government had delivered to respond to the food shortage in Tarahumara.

The presence of narcotrafficking – explains Martinez – has devastating results for the community’s social structure, “because it uproots people from their land, displaces them from their houses, and--out of fear--they stop farming or altogether abandon their towns.” At the same time, in the face of unemployment and a lack of options, “it attracts young Rarámuri people and teenagers because it offers them work, encourages them to join; it provides an income.” Seduced by this life, teenagers and young people, who range between ages 16 and 20, end up rejecting their identity.

The middle-aged priest, a jovial character who translated the Hebrew Bible into Rarámuri, doesn’t speak of rumors; he knows it, he’s seen it, he’s lived it. Today, many of those who pass through Creel and the surrounding towns in trucks with tinted windows, music turned all the way up, and “armed to the teeth,” attended catechism with him when they were children.

He admits that the situation hurts and frustrates him: “I grieve for them, because I know sooner or later they are going to be killed, and it frustrates me because life in the Tarahumara Mountains, the expectations it gives them, it’s very little. For them, the gun, the truck, the money is more important in order to feel powerful.”

“Bless our weapons, father.”

He tells of this past December 12, when a group of them stopped him when he was travelling from one town to another. They asked him to bless their weapons: “I refused outright; I told them: ‘I will bless you, if you’d like, that God may care for you and so that you don’t use them, but I will not bless them.’” They insisted, “Come on, father. In the movie ‘El Infierno’ they bless guns. Plus we’re not the ones who are extorting money; we’re just in it for the work!

They let him go, but later on stopped him again: “They told me ‘Get out (of your car), we want you to try our weapons.’” They weren’t AK-47’s, they were grenades launchers: “I told them, I am on my way out of the community; people are gathered in my church, if you shoot they’re going to get scared, it’s not worth it, guys. Then it occurred to me to tell them that it was the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and that I still had people to baptize. So they let me go.”

Those kinds of experiences don’t make Hector Fernando Martinez feel threatened or fearful: “the truth is I’ve never been threatened; I’ve told them that we’re not going to refuse them access to the church when one of them passes on, but we’re not going to hold a mass, because we don’t want to be part of the narcocorrido (ballad).” He said, “One time an important narco from here was killed and they brought him to the church; they made a narcocorrido about him and the town cried and they rang the bells; you become part of it. We don’t want to let that happen.”

The problem of insecurity in Creel can’t be attributed solely to the presence of armed groups. The more difficult problem is that the town finds itself in the middle of a fight: on one side is the La Línea cartel and on the other the Sinaloa cartel. Creel is, as it’s always been, the battlefield.

One of the few remedies the priest has devised to respond to the situation is sports, particularly soccer (the locals root for C.D. Guadalajara). However, Creel has nothing more than a hard court for fast soccer: “we’ve gone door to door, we’ve told the government that we urgently need places for the kids because they don’t have anything to do and, obviously, the hitmen come into Creel with their guns and the kids look up to them, and despite that, there’s no official program, no strategy to counter it.”

Outsiders can only note the obvious: the furtive glances in the passenger busses that make the four and a half hour trip from the capital of Chihuahua to Creel; the stories of the burrito street vendor in a small town who – without anyone asking – admits that he once sold pirated goods on the street until the organized crime syndicates started to charge high protection fees; the truck drivers with tinted glass who slow down and ride along next to those who seem like strangers or out-of-towners.

Against this background, the pastor of Creel has a conviction that he calmly expresses: we’re not going to let them intimidate us.” Spanish original

Drug Trafficking: 'Blind mules' unknowingly ferry drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border

CNN.com: "Juan Andres was one of at least five so-called "blind mules" identified in a 20-page federal complaint who were used by cartels to traffic drugs.

Others include a fourth-grade teacher and a sports medicine doctor. The blind mules had a few things in common: The bags were all secured the same way, each contained roughly the same amount of marijuana, and most of those caught drove a Ford. " read more

Human Rights Violations: Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams denounces impunity for femicides in Mexico

EFE/CNN Mexico: The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jody Williams, denounced impunity regarding crimes against women in Mexico and the lack of political will to find solutions. 

After meeting with a group of 50 activists who fight for collective rights of women, the American criticized the "nice words" from the government and demanded  "real" solutions to a problem that she said affects the entire population. "There is no time for excuses. Families who are suffering in this country want to see action and women who have been raped by the police and military want to see justice," she said.

According to her, joint action by civil society that demands responses from the government is necessary to reverse this situation. "No one person can change society; it has to be a whole community that goes into action," she said. Therefore, the unity that associations of victims have been showning in reporting cases of disappearances, rapes and murders across the country she considers to be a positive sign.

She also stated that one of the main obstacles to achieving justice and an end to impunity in Mexico is the high number of people involved in these crimes.

Accompanied by Lisa VeneKlasen, director of Just Associates, an international feminist organization, and Imelda Marrufo, of the Women's Network in Ciudad Juarez, Williams stated that, despite the oppression and dangers, there is hope. "This problem requires a constant struggle if we want to see a society in which we can live without fear," she said.

Her visit is part of an investigation being carried out by the Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú regarding murders of women in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. It began Saturday and ends on January 31. The activists are scheduled to go tomorrow to the state of Guerrero for a meeting with women and on Tuesday to meet with diplomats and women who hold high positions in Mexican political life and the judicial system.

The objectives of the visit is to make visible the role, contribution and actions that women have taken to eradicate violence and insecurity in the country and to urge the Mexican government to ensure the protection of human rights defenders.

During 2010, in Mexico about 3,100 women were killed, while in Honduras it amounted to about 1,500 between 2008 and 201, and in Guatemala over 5,000 women died in the last 10 years in a violent way.

Activist Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her intense struggle for the prohibition and removal of landmines." Spanish original