On Wednesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented its report on the "human rights situation" in Mexico, where it considered that there are "critical levels of impunity" in the country.
The report addresses enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and torture, as well as the situation of insecurity, access to justice and impunity, and the situation of journalists, defenders of human rights and other groups affected by the context of violence in the country. It recommends that the State strengthen its efforts "to protect and guarantee human rights." The Commission establishes that
"For several years, Mexico has been experiencing a serious crisis of violence and security."According to the report [The Human Rights Situation in Mexico, Executive Summary, p. 11-14; passages cited here are taken from published English version; Highly recommended]:
"Mexico has been undergoing a serious situation of violence and security for several years. During the administration of former President Felipe Calderón and the launch in 2006 of the so-called “war on drugs,” serious situations of violence increased until they reached alaming levels, including the subsequent loss of more than 100,000 human lives, thousands of disappearances, and a context that has caused the displacement of thousands of people in the country. As a response to the increase in violence, authorities have opted to increase the role of the Armed Forces in law enforcement duties, which include a policy of confronting organized crime and the deployment of joint operations between the armed forces and state and municipal security agencies.
"This situation has sparked yet greater violence, as well as gross violations of human rights in which there has been a notable lack of accountability by international standards."Meanwhile, the Commission
"has confirmed a deep gulf between the legislative and judicial framework and the daily reality millions of people face in accessing justice, violence prevention, and other public initiatives. Time and again the IACHR heard from victims throughout the country that the administration of justice is a 'simulation.'”With the arrival of Enrique Peña Nieto to the Presidency, the Commission said
"in practice there have been no substantial changes with regard to security policies and the violence levels."Today, it said,
"of particular concern are the reports of disappearances, extrajudicial executions and torture, as well as the situation of insecurity for women, children, migrants, human rights defenders, and journalists, who are victims of murder, disappearance, kidnapping, torture, harassment, and threats. Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, excluding countries that are at war."The report notes that:
"Figures provided by the State to international organizations show only six federal court convictions in Mexico for the crime of forced disappearance."The report [p.12] continues:
"The deficiencies in the investigations of disappearances are many and serious. The current crisis of gross violations of human rights in Mexico is in part a consequence of the impunity that has persisted since the “Dirty War,” and has fostered their repetition heretofore. Many cases of disappearances are not reported due to family members’ distrust of the State’s capacity for response or their fear of reprisals. In those cases where a report is filed, the authorities’ response presents grave deficiencies. In this context, everywhere the IACHR went during its visit it met with victims, family members, and defenders, who described the barriers that they have run up against in their quest for justice, as well as their distrust of the authorities."Regarding the case of the forced disappearance of 43 young students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Normal School in Guerrero, on September 26-27, 2014, the Commission considered that the case
"constitutes a terrible tragedy in Mexico that was also a national and international wakeup call regarding disappearances in Mexico, and in particular in the State of Guerrero.
"Furthermore, it reflects the serious deficiencies in the investigations into these events and the structural and almost absolute impunity that permeate these serious crimes. This case is also an emblematic example of the apparent collusion between agents of the State and members of organized crime."Moreover,
"The Commission agrees with other international organizations in highlighting that torture is generalized in Mexico and frequently occurs when someone is detained—usually arbitrarily—and prior to the detained individual being brought before a judge. The IACHR notes that even in the investigation of the events occurred in Iguala, one of the highest-profile matters in terms of human rights in the recent past, 77% of the persons who were being investigated showed bodily injuries, which is indicative, at least, of the existence of ill treatment and potential torture committed against them."Additionally:
"The Commission has confirmed on the ground the critically high levels of impunity and inadequate and insufficient attention to victims and their family members. The failure to provide access to justice has created a situation of structural impunity whose effect is to perpetuate, and in some cases foster, the repetition of gross human rights violations. The threats, harassment, murders, and disappearances of individuals who seek truth and justice has led to a cowing of Mexican society, [which the IACHR noted in countless testimonies of people who have not reported these violations to the authorities for fear of reprisals, leading to a serious problem of underreporting in official figures." p. 14]
MV Note: The Executive Summary goes on to state in its last paragraph: "Currently, the challenge for the Mexican State is to close the existing gap between its legal framework and unconditional support of human rights and the reality faced by a large number of citizens when they seek a prompt and effective justice. Thus, the Mexican State’s real challenge is to break the cycle of prevailing impunity in order to achieve effective prevention, investigation, prosecution, and punishment of the perpetrators of human rights violations. In this regard, the IACHR makes a series of recommendations to the Mexican State."Spanish original