by Vanessa Kritzer and Jennifer Johnson
on August 06, 2009
A lot has been happening in Washington in the weeks since we covered the Washington Post article that exposed the forced disappearances, torture and illegal raids being carried out by the Mexican military as a part of the “drug war” and the practical impunity for soldiers who use these tactics. Concerned members of Congress have started asking more questions, so LAWG has been working with partner groups in the United States and Mexico to provide some answers. On July 16th, we circulated a joint public statement calling for Congress to withhold a chunk of funds designated for Mexico under the Merida Initiative, which they can only release once they accept a report from the State Department that documents the Mexican government’s efforts to meet four key human rights requirements.
Read more »
by Christa Schelter and Jenny Johnson
on May 19, 2009
You and I know that military hardware isn't the
solution to Mexico's challenges--and it sure isn't the way to acknowledge the
United States' "shared responsibility" for spiraling drug violence. We need to
act today.
Read more »
|
by Vanessa Kritzer and Jennifer Johnson
on July 13, 2009
“The Mexican army has carried out forced disappearances, acts of torture and illegal raids in pursuit of drug traffickers, according to documents and interviews with victims, their families, political leaders and human rights monitors.”
In a detailed exposé published on the front page of last Thursday’s Washington Post, reporters Steve Fainaru and William Booth draw on testimonies from victims, their family members, political officials and human rights monitors to illustrate some of the brutal tactics that the Mexican Army has employed in its efforts to combat drug related violence. Horrific and heartbreaking stories from rural and urban communities, including Puerto Las Ollas, Guerrero and Tijuana, Baja California, are representative of too many of the abuses that have occurred.
by Christa Schelter and Jenny Johnson
on April 27, 2009
Last week Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) introduced HR 2076, The Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009. The purpose of this bill is to restore the rule of law to the borderlands, protect communities, federal lands, and wildlife habitat from the destructive impacts of the border wall.
Read more »
|
by Jenny Johnson
on July 07, 2009
Deeply concerned after learning of an assassination attempt against
human rights defenders in Guerrero, including Margarita Martín de las
Nieves, the Latin America Working Group, Human Rights Watch, the
Washington Office on Latin America and Due Process of Law Foundation
issued a letter to Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo, the Mexican
Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, urging
state and federal authorities to take immediate action to ensure the
safety of Margarita Martín de las Nieves and fully implement security
measures necessary to make certain that human rights defenders in
Guerrero can safely carry out their work without fear of reprisals. These protective measures
include those agreed to by the Mexican government within the context of
proceedings before the Inter-American system of human rights.
by Jenny Johnson
on April 14, 2009
In just two days, President Obama will embark on his first official trip to Latin America as he travels to Mexico following a string of visits from high-level U.S. officials in recent weeks. Comments made by visiting U.S. officials mark a shift in the U.S. stance towards Mexico’s challenges with drug cartels - a shift that indicates the Obama Administration’s willingness to recognize U.S. responsibility for spiraling violence in Mexico. This sentiment was clearly expressed by Secretary of State Clinton when she said, “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade…Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians.”
Read more »
|
Action Center
