Congressional Letters, Statements, and Resolutions

Since August 12, 2012, Mexico's Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity has traveled 6,000 miles across the United States calling for the U.S. to do its part to stop violence in Mexico. The caravaneros are calling for an end to the failed drug war that has left over 60,000 dead and 10,000 disappeared in Mexico over the last five years.

Join us on Wednesday, September 12th in the House of Representatives, Rayburn 2226 from 12-1:30 p.m. as U.S. Caravan Riders Tell their Stories.  Join LAWG's Executive Director, Lisa Haugaard, and the caravaneros as they brief Congress demanding new policies that will Foster peace, justice and human dignity on both sides of the border.

For the past couple of months, LAWG and other organizations have been organizing a series of events for the Caravan  for Peace with Justice and Dignity's final stop in Washington, D.C. from Monday, September 10th - Wednesday, September 12t. If you are in the D.C. area please join us for these unique series of events.

Earlier this week, thirty-three members of Congress sent a “dear colleague” letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing concerns regarding human rights and the rule of law in Mexico. In the letter, members of Congress call on Secretary Clinton to make detailed inquiries into human rights abuses committed by security forces during the Calderon administration as the State Department prepares its next report for Congress on the human rights requirements included in the Merida Initiative.  

Since President Felipe Calderón took office in December 2006, he has  responded to organized crime related violence with the deployment of thousands of Mexican military and federal police throughout the country.  During this same period, complaints of serious human rights violations by Mexican security forces have increased five-fold—including torture, rape, murder and forced disappearances. The letter reiterates Congress’ recognition of the need for abuses committed by soldiers against civilians to be investigated in civilian jurisdiction. However, impunity for such abuses remains the norm despite the Mexican Supreme Court’s July 2011 ruling that military jurisdiction should not be applied in cases of alleged human rights abuses against civilians.

Members of Congress also express concern regarding the use of torture, still a widespread practice despite reforms to the Mexican Constitution to prohibit the use of confessions obtained through torture and other forms of ill treatment, such as in the case of  Israel Arzate Meléndez, a man who was beaten, given electric shocks, and suffocated into giving a false confession.

Members of Congress conclude by asking, “If, upon obtaining this information, the Department of State determines that the human rights requirements are not being met, we believe your report should reflect this conclusion and the 15 percent of select funds should be withheld.”

We applaud members of Congress who have taken a stand in support for human rights and the rule of law, and join them in urging Secretary Clinton to provide a full, accurate and thorough assessment of the Mexican government’s efforts to fulfill the human rights requirements in the Merida Initiative.

The letter was coordinated by Congressman James P. McGovern (MA), who was joined by Reps. Nita Lowey (NY), Jan Schakowsky (IL), John Lewis (GA), James Moran (VA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Sam Farr (CA) and John Conyers (MI), among others.

By most accounts, Mexico has become an increasingly dangerous place to stand up for human rights over the past several years. According to the Mexican nongovernmental organization CENCOS, at least 24 human rights defenders and journalists were murdered in 2011 alone. The Mexican government has not adequately responded to threats and attacks against defenders, leaving 99% of all aggressions against them in impunity. Until Mexico’s judicial and law-enforcement institutions are fully able to uphold the rule of law, a special mechanism is needed to protect human rights defenders so they may continue their important work without fear. The Mexican government is in the process of developing such a protection mechanism, but has failed to fully include the participation of civil society--the very people these measures are being designed to protect.

Several members of the U.S. Congress concerned with the high levels of danger facing human rights defenders in Mexico have raised their voice. Together, they sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her make a priority in her dialogue with Mexico the importance of civil society participation in the development of a protection mechanism for human rights defenders.

To read the letter, click here.

Each year, tens of thousands of migrants transit through Mexico with the goal of reaching the United States.  This journey is fraught with danger and many experience extreme violence along the way.  According to Mexico’s Nation Human Rights Commission (CNDH), a staggering 11,333 migrants were victims of kidnapping from April 2010 to September 2010.  However, the humanitarian crisis of migrants in Mexico extends beyond kidnapping.  Too often, migrants become victims of extortion, robbery, torture, rape, and even murder, including the horrific mass murder of 72 migrants in Tamaulipas in 2010.

In response to President Calderón's meeting with President Obama and address to Congress, LAWG, WOLA, and our counterparts in Mexico issued a joint statement urging our respective elected officials to move beyond the empty platitudes that typically characterize such meetings and instead capitalize on this historic visit to make concrete and meaningful commitments to transform the rhetoric of shared responsibility into reality.  Given the shared challenges posed by organized crime, arms trafficking and illicit drug use, it is critical that both countries move beyond ineffective and worn-out strategies and propose concrete, comprehensive solutions to address the root causes of these problems. 

To read the full statement, click here.