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Mexico and the Merida Initiative: Make Human Rights the Core

Good News! 
Amnesty International welcomes human rights protections in Congress' final version of the aid package, known as the "Merida Initiative," to fight drug cartels in Mexico and Central America. The final bill is an important first step to prevent military and police abuses, including torture. The implementation of the aid package will depend on the commitment by Mexican, Central American and U.S. authorities. The first block of funding for the so-called Merida Initiative was signed into law by President Bush on June 30, 2008.
Read the statement
En Español

Other News on Mexico 
Read a letter from AIUSA executive director, Larry Cox to President Bush, Mexican President Calderón and Canadian Prime Minister Harper, asking them to address concerns about the Security and Prosperity Partnership at the upcoming summit in New Orleans.
Read the letter


Take Action! Help Put Human Rights at the Core of US-Mexican Relations!

On May 4, 2006 during a police operation in response to protests by activists from a local peasant organization in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico, Bárbara Italia Méndez was arrested without explanation. More than two years later, she is still waiting for justice. 

Members of Congress Speak Out!
Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), founder of the Victims Rights Caucus, gave a floor speech to the House of Representatives on April 29th decrying the lack of justice in the case of Bárbara Italia Méndez and the women of San Salvador Atenco, Mexico. Calling this a “world human rights issue,” he said that these abuses could not be tolerated and the police officers responsible should not enjoy impunity.

» Click here to see video of the speech and read the transcript





More Information

Why is AIUSA concerned?

  • Amnesty International has long documented deep flaws in the Mexican public security and criminal justice system that has led to a long history of serious human rights violations by security, justice officials and the military.
  • Human rights violations such as torture, arbitrary detention, excessive use of force, and the denial of due process often go unpunished.
  • The increased involvement of the military, in civilian law enforcement operations and specifically the fight against drug trafficking makes it especially alarming to hear them often characterized as abusive, ineffective, and lacking transparency.
  • In the majority of cases those responsible have not been held accountable and victims have not received reparations. Impunity remains almost total.
  • The military justice system continues to demonstrate that it lacks the impartiality to properly investigate and bring to justice members of the army accused of human rights violations.

The US and Mexico should work together to address shared drug and security problems particularly as thousands of Mexicans loose their lives every year to drug related violence. The US assistance and Mexican policies to fight crime cannot be at the expense of human rights. Amnesty International wants to see a shift in the balance of funds so that human rights are at the core of this aid package.

What are Amnesty’s recommendations?

  • Funding for initiatives like training for security force personnel in human rights
  • Vetting for all recipients of US assistance to ensure that they have not been implicated in human rights violations
  • The establishment of a strong, independent accountability mechanism for investigating abuses and other violations.
  • Funding for the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights in Mexico.
  • Reforms of the criminal procedural system to:
    - ensure that judges proactively and impartially assess the circumstances under which suspects are detained and held in custody in order to guarantee any evidence of torture or other ill-treatment, illegal detention, coercion, or failure to ensure effective access to legal counsel, family or medical assistance is impartially and effectively investigated and where appropriate sanctioned.
    - establish clear criteria for the use of information and admissibility of evidence, placing the burden of proof on the prosecution to demonstrate it has been obtained legally, particularly where suspects allege arbitrary arrest or torture or other ill-treatment.
    - ensure in practice the right to effective defence, and an interpreter when appropriate, from the moment of detention
  • Amend legislation on en flagrante arrests to bring it in line with international human rights standards; [these are some of the key recommendations in: AI Index: AMR 41/002/2007]

What can I do?
Check this webpage regularly. We will be posting information about individual cases, action updates, news, and campaigning ideas for you to help us combat human rights abuses in Mexico and make sure that US taxpayer money is not misused.

Background Links
Amnesty International has issued several reports on human rights in Mexico, on the problems with the criminal justice system, and on the role of the military and police forces:


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