To resolve the issue of enforced disappearances in Mexico, it isn't enough just to pass legislative reforms, such as the creation of a general law on the subject, as requested by the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, but to completely transform the country's judicial structure, said Daniel Zapico, executive director of Amnesty International Mexico.
Participating in the seminar 'Disappearances: Crime of the State and Accountability', conducted at the Institute of Legal Research of the UNAM, the specialist said that the adaptation of international standards of human rights in Mexico is absolutely deficient, with the exception of a few state laws, such as Nuevo Leon.
"Given this, Mexico needs to carry out a thorough reform in the definition of this crime, but also in the care of victims and investigations. It is very important to have this legislative change (the law against forced disappearances), but it won't be enough because Mexico is a country of many laws, but without justice," he deplored.An example is the newly created unit for a Unified Search for Disappeared Persons, which is a positive action,
"but if it doesn't have resources and political support at the highest level, it is unlikely to change things. Structural change is needed in public institutions."Similarly, Santiago Corcuera, a member of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances of the United Nations Organization (UN), lamented that Mexican laws regarding this crime against humanity present a very uneven situation, with some states having made significant efforts to define it, while others have huge lags.
"Ideally the definition should follow verbatim the provisions of the UN Convention. Don't mess with it creatively; use the infalible technique of copy and paste!" emphasized Corcuera, who said that quick results against disappearances are more important than creatiing laws or institutions.Specialists such as Octavio Amezcua, of the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, and Hector Cerezo of the Mexico Committee, explained that disappearance is a crime of an ongoing nature that has been used by the government since the late 1960s.
Similarly, relatives of victims provided testimony to illustrate how their wellbeing is completely altered by the disappearance of a family member, leaving them in a state of constant uncertainty of not knowing if their loved one is alive or dead. Spanish original