Impunity and the Dirty War in Mexico: a Permanent Peoples' Tribunal Hearing

"Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, Mexico Chapter: Dirty War and Impunity Hearing"

Just two days after the pre-trial hearing of the Permanent People’s Tribunal: Repression for Political Reasons: a Permanent Strategy of the Mexican State” was finalized, 16 protestors were arbitrarily detained in Mexico city, including three independent journalists. That same day, President Enrique Peña Nieto gave his first State of the Union address. Although his rhetoric was one of accomplishment and cooperation, the reality on the streets suggested that the real message was: “Nothing has changed.” After he lauded the benefits of privatization of energy and education, the Mexican president briefly mentioned human rights, claiming that “The state must protect the rights of citizens starting with the most valuable: life.”  

How strange then, that only two days before, during the pre-trial hearing, we heard the story of Teodulfo Torres. Torres’ fate was sealed the day Peña Nieto assumed office, on Dec 1, 2012. It was during the inauguration protests that Torres saw his friend, Francisco Kuykendall, beaten by the Federal Police. Torres managed to film this repression and violence with the video camera he was carrying. Although Francisco survived, he still suffers serious brain and bodily injury. But it was Torres who paid the even greater price. He denounced the violence done to his friend, and was set to testify on March 27, 2013, but was disappeared before he was allowed that opportunity.

The photo on the T-shirt is of Teodulfo Torres. 

Gabriela Hernandez, of Comité Monseñor, put the Torres case in a broader context: "The principal issue is to break the wall of silence, break the interference of information. The Mexican government, with the PRI back in power, hides all the information. In this six-year term they make everything out to be all perfect, like nothing's going on in this country. Furthermore, it advertises itself as a defender of democracy and civil liberties. All while behind the scenes, it's the greatest repressor. It generates violence, and at the end of the day, there's a reason for it. It's taking care of its neighbor, the U.S. government. We know that all of these repressive politics, cutting off the struggle of the people, is in order to conserve imperialism and neoliberalism."
 
The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal is an international initiative of ethical and moral nature where victims and organizations that have suffered human rights violations can report their cases in front of national and international judges. Its mission is to promote universal respect and fundamental rights of peoples, communities, and individuals. PPT Mexico has been unequivocal not only in its criticism of the Mexican government, but also the U.S. government, particularly in its pushing destructive policies like the Merida Initiative and NAFTA, that have not only led to massive human rights abuses, but also continued migration. This was the third pre-trial hearing on the subject of Mexico's Dirty War, focusing on impunity, violence, and the lack of access to justice for victims. In May 2014 the final trial will be held in front of a panel of international judges.

The pre-trial hearing was held at this market, the Popular Union of Street Vendors. The market is an emblem of organization and resistance. Sellers have survived extrajudicial murders, political oppression, and harassment from the state that continues in the present day.

All twelve testimonies of the pre-trial hearing (which included cases from the states of Puebla, Distrito Federal, Mexico State, and Guerrero) were disturbing and concerning. Minerva Mariano Matías’ was one of those. She spoke of the disappearance of her brother, social activist Fermín Mariano Matías on June 24, 2009. His body was found the following month. Poor and from a small town, Fermin worked his way through school, became a geophysicist, went on to fight for free schooling for rural children, and was training for a marathon when he was murdered. Although more than four years have passed and there is a new administration, there has been absolute impunity in this case. In a country whose human rights impunity rate falls between 90 and 99%, this is not an anomaly.

Minerva talking about her brother Fermin's disappearance.

The pre-trial lasted two days. On the second afternoon,the five judges ruled that the 12 cases analyzed demonstrated the existence of “diverse mechanisms of political repression committed by the Mexican government to attack those who fight for their free expression and defense of human rights.” It was hard not to agree with them after hearing the testimonies. 

Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos, Capítulo México: Audiencia sobre la Guerra Sucia y la Impunidad

"Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos, Capítulo México: Audiencia sobre la Guerra Sucia y la Impunidad"

Dos días después de que la Pre-audiencia del Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos "Represión por Motivos Políticos: una Estrategia Permanente del Estado Mexicano" terminó, 16 manifestantes fueron detenidos arbitrariamente en la ciudad de México, entre ellos tres periodistas independientes. Ese mismo día, el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto dio su primer informe de gobierno. A pesar de su retórica de logros y cooperación, la realidad en las calles sugirió que el verdadero mensaje era: "Nada ha cambiado". Después de alabar los beneficios de la privatización del sector petrolero y educativo, el mandatario mexicano mencionó brevemente los derechos humanos, afirmando que "El estado debe proteger los derechos de los ciudadanos empezando por lo más valioso: la vida."

Qué extraño, entonces, que en la pre-audiencia, sólo dos días antes, escuchamos la historia de Teodulfo Torres. El destino de Torres fue sellado el día en que Peña Nieto asumió la presidencia, el 1 de diciembre del 2012. Fue durante las protestas de la inauguración que Torres vio a su amigo Francisco Kuykendall siendo golpeado por la Policía Federal. Torres logró filmar esta represión y violencia con la cámara de vídeo que llevaba. Aunque Francisco sobrevivió, aún padece de graves daños cerebrales y lesiones corporales. Sin embargo, fue Torres quien pagó el mayor precio todavía. El 27 de marzo del 2013, después de denunciar la violencia perpetrada a su amigo y antes de tener la oportunidad de hacer una declaración acerca del caso, Torres fue desaparecido.

La foto de Teodulfo Torres aparece en la playera que está sobre la mesa. 

Gabriela Hernández, del Comité Monseñor, colocó el caso de Torres en un contexto más amplio: “Lo principal es romper la muralla de silencio, romper la mediatización de la información. El gobierno mexicano, con el PRI en el poder nuevamente, tapa toda la información. En este sexenio empieza todo, todo empiezan a hacer color de rosa y en este país no pasa nada. Y más allá, [el gobierno] se vuelve supuestamente defensor de democracias y de libertades de los pueblos. Cuando...es el mayor represor. Es el generador de la violencia. Y bueno, a fin de cuentas, tiene un por qué, el cuidar las espaldas de su gran vecino, el gobierno estadounidense. Sabemos que toda esta política represiva, de troncar la lucha de los pueblos, está en aras de conservar el imperialismo, el neoliberalismo."

El Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos (TPP) es una iniciativa internacional de carácter ético y moral en la cual las víctimas y las organizaciones que han sufrido violaciones de derechos humanos pueden denunciar sus casos ante jueces nacionales e internacionales. Su misión es promover el respeto universal y los derechos fundamentales de los pueblos, las comunidades y los individuos. El TPP México ha sido inequívoco no sólo en sus críticas al gobierno mexicano, sino también al gobierno de los EE.UU., en particular por sus políticas destructivas como la Iniciativa Mérida y el TLCAN, que no sólo han resultado en muchas violaciones de derechos humanos, sino en la continua migración de los mexicanos. Esta fue la tercera pre-audiencia sobre el tema de la guerra sucia en México, con un enfoque en la impunidad, la violencia y la falta de acceso a la justicia para las víctimas. La última audiencia se llevará a cabo frente a un panel de jueces internacionales en mayo del 2014.

La pre-audiencia tuvo lugar en este mercado, la Unión Popular de Vendedores Ambulantes. El mercado simboliza la resistencia y la organización popular. Sus vendedores han sobrevivido asesinatos extrajudiciales, opresión política y hostigamiento por parte del estado que continúa actualmente.

Los doce testimonios de la pre-audiencia (que incluyó casos de los estados de Puebla, Estado de México, Guerrero, y el Distrito Federal) fueron perturbadores y preocupantes. El de Minerva Mariano Matías fue uno de estos casos. Minerva habló de la desaparición de su hermano, el activista Fermín Mariano Matías, la cual ocurrió el 24 de junio del 2009. El cuerpo de Fermín fue encontrado un mes después. Pobre y de un pueblo pequeño, Fermín trabajó para poder completar sus estudios hasta convertirse en geofísico, luchó por la educación gratuita para los niños en zonas rurales, y estaba entrenando para un maratón cuando fue asesinado. Aunque han pasado más de cuatro años, y hay una nueva administración, todavía no se ha hecho justicia con este caso. En un país donde la tasa de impunidad se encuentra entre el 90 y el 99%, esto no es una anomalía.

Minerva hablando sobre la desaparición de su hermano Fermín.

La pre-audiencia duró dos días. En la segunda tarde, los cinco jueces dictaminaron que los 12 casos analizados demostraron "la existencia de diversos mecanismos de represión política utilizados por el Estado mexicano para atacar a quienes luchan por el ejercicio libre y la defensa de los derechos humanos en este país." No fue difícil estar de acuerdo con esta conclusión después de escuchar los testimonios.

My experience on a Roots and Realities of Migration delegation to Oaxaca

by Jessica del Villar

I was recently given the opportunity to go on a Roots and Realities of Migration delegation to Oaxaca, Mexico with two organizations called Witness for Peace and Student Action with Farmworkers. The focus of this trip was, as the name implies, to learn about the causes of migration and the harsh realities of the issue. Although this trip started out as more of an educational experience, for many of us delegates, it was much more than that.

Being a Mexican-American student at Duke has obviously had its rough spots. Jumping from a community that was so inundated with Hispanics, where it was a necessity to speak Spanish, to a community like Duke, where as a Hispanic you are part of the clear minority, was more of a culture shock than I could have ever imagined. Finishing up my first year I was definitely left questioning my identity and the role I played outside of my community bubble. Along with wanting to be more educated about the impacts of immigration reform, I wanted to find a way to connect with a culture that I felt was so overshadowed (if that’s the right word) at Duke and I hoped that going to Mexico would help me do that.

Logistically speaking, my ten day visit to Oaxaca included trips to different towns, a homestay visit and various speakers. We got to eat authentic Mexican food, spend our afternoons roaming the city, and soak up as much of the culture as we possibly could. A few days into our trip we visited a town up in the mountains called Capulalpam de Méndez. Capulalpam is known for its amazing self-dependence and continuous fight against mining companies. It uses its beautiful scenery to lure tourists and educate them about  the highly unwanted mega project presence in their small town while providing an interesting experience and benefiting from needed economic gain.

We also visited CEDICAM, an organization based in Nochixtlán, a town on the other end of the spectrum, that  was struggling from a lack of water, bad climate, and difficulty getting their youth to contribute to the needed farm labor. They utilized a method of farming called milpa, which involves growing beans, squash and corn together. From what I understood, planting these seeds together allows for more efficient farming. The three crops assist each other in the growing process, which also describes an ideal community of people helping each other grow.

Up next was our homestay visit in Teotitlán del Valle. We spoke to the women of Vida Nueva, a women’s weaving cooperative that honored  fair prices for their labor. During our visit, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in our family’s daily life. We cooked with our host families, took the children to school and visited the local market early in the morning.

Personally, these two days were the highlight of the trip. This small town with its simple homes and few paved roads made me think of what my grandmother’s childhood must have been like. It was not only an extremely educational experience but an emotional one as well. From using the same laundry soap (Zote), to the invariable presence of Coca Cola, it was like my grandma was right there with me. Being able to experience this environment was well... I can’t really describe what this was like, it just felt right. Like I finally understood something that I hadn’t understood for so long. I understood why my grandmother and her children (including my mother) had made the treacherous journey to the U.S. I understood why all the women in my family were such hard workers, and why they focused so much on getting ahead and improving their family’s futures. I understood where my grandma’s little habits and sayings came from and everything just felt right. This was what I had come for. This feeling of just being right.

Leaving Teotitlán was probably the hardest part of this trip. I don’t know why. Going in, I knew that my host family had to go on with their life and I had to go on with mine. I just didn’t expect to get so attached and gain such a high level of respect for a family in the span of two days.

Upon leaving Teotitlán, we visited COMI, a migrant homeless shelter that provides food and shelter to migrants traveling north. Here, we spoke to a member of the organization and to 8-10 migrants coming from different Latin American countries. The most touching of these people were the two children making the journey. An 11 year old boy and 8 year old girl were on Day 15 of their journey from El Salvador to America. I’ve grown up around first generation migrants all my life but I’d never encountered children so young who had made the journey. The other migrant’s stories were, of course, horrible and difficult to hear but watching these children sit there during our discussion without fully understanding the difficulties they would face was heartbreaking.

What future lay ahead for them? First off, their future could take two separate roads. They would either make it to the border or...well, not. If they did successfully cross into the United States, they would face a huge culture shock and a rough transition into school on top of the certain racism and discrimination that would somehow come their way. As  older kids, they wouldn’t be able to get driver’s licenses, apply for financial aid or just generally have the other opportunities other kids have. Why should they be affected by a future they didn’t choose? Why should they  bear the consequences? They’re just kids.

I don’t know.

I’m sure that I’ve left out a lot of things from my time in Oaxaca and I know that once I submit this I’ll regret not including so-and-so, but overall this was my experience. People have asked me what my time in Oaxaca was like but it’s not exactly easy to put so much into a few sentences. I’m sure that this whole piece has been choppy and not the greatest thing ever but I hope that it has at least provided some insight into what I learned and I hope it inspires others to learn more about the causes and effects of migration.

My time in Oaxaca gave me some of the most memorable and educational experiences of my life (so far) and I am eternally grateful to all the people that made this trip possible.

On a last note:

I hope that my host family is doing well and that they continue to be as happy as they were then I met them.

I hope that the two Salvadoran children have made it to the United States safely. I hope they can still experience some of the joys all children should be able to experience. I hope the little girl thinks of me on May 12, our shared birthday, as I’ll certainly be thinking of her. And I hope that they prosper and don’t grow up to be bitter about their standing as immigrants in the United States. I hope they don’t blame their mother.

I hope close-minded Americans can stop being so ignorant and actually educate themselves about the migrant experience.

And I hope that this has sparked some thought into every reader’s personal migration story and realization that, whether ten years ago or a hundred, we all came from somewhere and that somewhere is not here.