Illegitimate Mexican President not welcome in NZ

6th September 2007

In line with the NZ government's commitment to human rights, the NZ Latin American Solidarity Committee is calling on the NZ government to raise the issue of human rights in Oaxaca with President Calderon who is visiting New Zealand.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa who "won" last year's highly contested presidential elections is at present visiting NZ. While Mexico has made the so-called transition to democracy in 2000, its human rights record continues to be appalling. Calderon  has continued to pursue the PAN government's hard-line policy towards peaceful protesters and demonstrators, especially in the Southern regions of Mexico, such as Oaxaca and Chiapas (see Amnesty International statement below).

The NZ Latin American Solidarity Committee is also asking Mexican Ambassador  to pass on our concerns
to President Calderon. Recent reports from members in the area, indicate new significant human rights violations, including detentions of foreign human rights observers. 
The continued harassment of indigenous populations in Oaxaca as well as in Chiapas by the national army, as well as paramilitary forces,  has left the people in permanent state of emergency with no resources for their basic needs. The Mexican government is not offering alternatives that include indigenous populations. In addition, the NAFTA agreement and its further expansion, is depriving people of the opportunity of land and self-reliance in local food and crops, that was the case over the last thousand years until the recent neo-liberal reforms. 

“Impunity entrenched in Oaxaca City

More than a year after José Jiménez Colmenares was shot dead during
a peaceful demonstration in Oaxaca City, Mexico, his killers remain at
liberty. No one has been charged with his murder, despite the fact that
demonstrators handed over gun shell casings and several suspects –
including two state police officers – to the authorities on the day he died.
The prosecuting authorities failed to preserve the crime scene and
released the suspects. José Jiménez Colmen’s wife said she was told to
come back when she had collected sufficient evidence to prosecute.
In mid-2006, what began as a strike by teachers over pay and conditions
escalated into widespread demonstrations. A popular support
movement – the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) – was
formed to support the teachers. The response of the authorities triggered
a political and public security crisis which has continued into 2007.
At least 18 people were killed in the unrest. Scores more were
injured and hundreds were detained and ill-treated. Many of those
detained were charged on the basis of fabricated evidence and
convicted following unfair trials.

Across Oaxaca, human rights violations committed during the
upheavals in 2006 are being compounded by a failure to bring those
responsible to justice and a systemic disregard for the rights of victims
and their families.

Reports say 140 people were detained on that day, after a peaceful
APPO demonstration ended in violent clashes.
The National Human Rights Commission found that at least 13 of
those detained were tortured by State Judicial Police and Federal
Preventive Police.

The response of the authorities to the demands for justice by the
victims of human rights violations has been characterized by inertia,
incompetence and obstruction. Journalists, relatives and human
rights defenders who have tried to pursue cases and expose the truth
have been threatened.

At every stage of the investigative and judicial process the quest
for truth has been thwarted. In most cases crime scenes were not
preserved and evidence was not gathered promptly.

Not all protests were peaceful, and the authorities have a duty
to maintain public order and protect the public. However, such
challenges do not diminish their obligation to uphold national and
international human rights law. Nor can they excuse impunity for
human rights abuses.”
ends

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