Author: Emma Buckhout
July 13, 2016
| Tell Congress: They have until this Friday, July 15th to sign on to this important letter supporting human rights in Mexico. Click here to call or email now>>  *LAWG photo of poster of one of the disappeared Ayotzinapa students |
Thousands of families search for their disappeared loved ones. Police and the military charged with killing innocent civilians are released. Torture is used regularly in criminal investigations. Teachers’ protests turn deadly. It’s time for the U.S. government to get serious about human rights in Mexico.
There is a letter being circulated by Rep. Lowenthal in the House of Representatives this week calling on Secretary of State Kerry to prioritize strengthening the rule of law and defending human rights in the U.S. bilateral relationship with Mexico. [[First_Name]], can you take five minutes today to contact your member of the House to sign on to this letter and call for real change in Mexico?
With your help, we have worked hard to demand justice for the families of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers’ school who were attacked and forcibly disappeared at the hands of organized crime and local police in Mexico in September 2014. The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts—appointed to assist the government with investigating the case and accompany the victims’ families—discovered concerning inconsistencies in the Mexican government’s version of events, as well as the direct involvement of federal and local authorities. Yet their findings have been met with silence or, even worse, campaigns to discredit them. As the two-year anniversary of this horrific crime approaches, the Mexican government is dragging its feet on its commitment to carry out the Experts’ recommendations; and the students’ families and friends still remain without justice. As the letter points out, the Ayotzinapa case is not isolated—these 43 are among more than 27,000 unresolved cases of disappeared persons in Mexico.
Too many human rights violations committed by Mexican authorities remain in impunity. For example, in the case of 22 civilians massacred by soldiers in the town of Tlatlaya, Mexico, the soldiers involved have been released from charges. In such criminal investigations the use of torture, and particularly sexual violence against women, is far too common. And just last week at least 8 more people died in clashes between protesting teachers and federal police in the southern state of Oaxaca. Citizens deserve protection, not excessive force and human rights violations from their government authorities. This has to stop, and we need your help!
This congressional letter follows up on a 2015 letter to Secretary Kerry on similar human rights concerns in Mexico. Unfortunately, while the Mexican government has made some attempts to show improvement in human rights, the results are too few and the ongoing disappearances, killings, and instances of torture are too many. Words need to be matched by concrete actions. Families and survivors of these acts deserve justice.
This week is Congress’s last week in session before they leave for 7 weeks of recess, so we need to act ASAP! The deadline to sign on to the letter is Friday, July 15th—contact your member today!
Then, share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter so they can take action too!
Supporters like you helped us gain record support from 82 members on last year’s letter—let’s keep the streak going! Click here to contact your member of the House>>
