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| Duarte by Ruben Espinoza |
Has anyone mentioned the Patrick Leahy amendment - which is a law in the United States that prohibits the US State Department and DOD from, "...providing military assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity"? Apparently, the law has no teeth in Mexico.
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| Miguel Angel Jimenez Blanco |
- Let's go back to last weekend when Miguel Angel Jimenez Blanco was executed in the Municipality of Xaltianguis just shortly after the executions of Ruben Espinoza and the four women in Mexico City. Similarites? Well in a word, yes - Miguel just like Ruben and others who have been executed or gotten rid of or out of the way or forever silenced was an activist who organized hundreds of people in the search for the 43 missing students from Iguala and organized many community events creating security for citizens.
Clearly, Miguel was a gentle man with purpose; here is a video of him leading people on the search for the bodies of the 43 students and organizing communities - who exactly did Miguel (and ask yourself this question every time an activist or reporter or photojournalist is murdered or disappears down here) rub the wrong way?
Aristegui Noticias
Asesinado activista que encabezo busqueda de desaparecidos en guerrero
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- As if we weren't already sickened by these events, on Sunday 08/09 two academics from the University of Veracruz disappear. This morning it was officially verified that both men were kidnapped by armed men in the Municipality of Huazuntlan of Mecayapan (Veracruz).
Although their identities have not been revealed due to security concerns, both Professors were rescued today by the Unidad Regional Especializada en Combate al Secuestro after the University issued a writ demanding immediate action. Co-workers have expressed and insist that these kidnappings were politically motivated.
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- More events this week: Charges are brought against attorney Mario Ramos Jesus Castillanos and the INM (who are supposed to be protecting the migrantes) by Padre Solalinde and Cuban migrantes for abuse of authority, kidnapping, exortion and smuggling.
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- And more events this week: In front of Alejandra Corona's home, intimidating shots are fired from a vehicle. Alejandra is a reporter for El Heraldo de Puebla, and again this aggression is believed to be politically motivated. Article 19 points out on 04/16/15 the administrative staff and a guard were assaulted and threatened with death as they were entering the newspaper's building.
Here is the video of the shots being fired from the vehicle.
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- As if all of this wasn't enough there is also absolute minimization and alteration of facts by the authorities "investigating" the Ruben Espinoza murders. At first, the authorities claimed there was a wild party on the night of 07/30 at the same apartment where the executions took place. According to witnesses, there was no wild party. Authorities stated they had Ruben's cell phone, and there were no calls made or received the day of the murders. Turns out there was a phone call received only 40-50 minutes prior to the murders. Next authorities are following the hypothesis that this was just a robbery gone bad. For good measure and to cover all the bases they have thrown in that it was an intentional femicide, and last but not least, that Nicole (the Colombian woman killed, full identity not revealed) had a relationship with organized criminals. Of course, no one believes any of these hypotheses.
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I have noticed on some of the responses to these reports and others, Mexican people are comparing the Mexican government - particularly the Duarte government as using Pinochet tactics intent on ruthlessly eliminating dissent and many feel that this targeting of reporters, activists and newspapers is turning into a feeding frenzy. (My neighbor said that these politico sicarios may cool their heels with all this recent bad publicity, but the killings really won't stop)
As you recall, the United States completely supported and backed the Pinochet regime with lots of help from the CIA. In that horrible time period, "...everything that aspired to give human and social content to the actions of the state or of groups was labeled 'subversive'."
A concept which has not been fully accepted or understood by the American public are the tentacles of impunity which prevail throughout Mexico. Edgardo Buscaglia noted that Mexico City where dozens of journalists from Veracruz have fled to is just not a safe haven at all and discussed the impunity throughout Mexico. (...in other words, if 'they' want to find you or get rid of you, ' they' will because 'they' can do whatever it is 'they' want and completely get away with it, it is the norm, period. ) Back on 08/06 this video first appeared on "Ojos de Perro" - but in just the last few days it has been completely removed from both sources. (Look: it's gone.....http://www.aristeguinoticias.com/0608/mexico/la-ciudad-de-mexico-ya-no-es-un-refugio-para-periodistas-buscaglia-video/)
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I'll be back with the local updates - so far just about as many executions as days in this month...plus another beheading, so that brings us up to eight this year.
P.S. In an interview with CBS this last week, Jon Stewart refers to sales-people or promoters as "deniers and conjurers" - perfect. Thank you Jon Stewart.
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