Impunity Watch: North America: U.S. Senate Rejects State Department Attempt to Issue a Positive Report on Mexico's Human Rights Record

16 August 2009

U.S. Senate Rejects State Department Attempt to Issue a Positive Report on Mexico's Human Rights Record

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

(Photo Courtesy of BBC)

WASHINGTON D.C. , United States - U.S. Senate members disagree about whether to award Mexico aid for combating drug cartels, in light of human rights abuses; meanwhile Barack Obama and Stephen Harper defend Mexico's army crackdown.

Congress has the power to withhold a portion of the $1.4 billion aid package until the State Department can confirm that Mexico is not violating human rights while prosecuting the drug war. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommitee has delayed the release of $100 million in aid, stating that Mexico needs an effective police force and a justice system that works.

The State Department had intended to send a favorable report on Mexico's human rights record to the Senate before President Obama went to Mexico to meet with President Calderon. However, that plan was scrapped after aides to Senator Leahy told the State Department that the official finding contradicted reports of human rights violations coming out of Mexico, including torture and forced disappearances, all related to the drug war. Leahy called the report "premature" in an official statement.

An anonymous U.S. official said that the State Department is looking for Mexico to be as transparent as possible. Mexican officials disclosed details of cases in which they claimed soldiers had been tried on charges of human rights violations after the State Department report was finished. The State Department is still trying to verify the validity of those disclosures and decide whether to include them in the ultimate report.

President Obama, Prime Minister Harper, and President Calderon met for talks in Mexico last week. Obama stated that "the biggest by far violators of human rights right now are the cartels themselves that are kidnapping people, extorting people and encouraging corruption." Obama stressed that he felt that "human rights will be observed" under President Calderon.

Complaints of human rights violations committed by the Mexican military have increased 600 percent under President Calderon's military offensive. Human Rights Watch says that the prosecution of soldiers is too lenient because it takes place in military courts.