Report: Mexico security forces abuse Juarenses

By Diana Washington Valdez \ El Paso Times
Posted: 10/06/2010 04:37:39 AM MDT

Juárez residents are caught between drug violence and human-rights violations by Mexico's security forces, according to a report released Tuesday by the Washington Office on Latin America, or WOLA, and the Miguel Agustin Pro Juárez Human Rights Center, known as Center Prodh.
The report, "Abused and Afraid in Ciudad Juárez," focuses on human-rights violations during Joint Operation Chihuahua.

The report cites five cases that involved alleged acts of torture, disappearance and sexual harassment of women by Mexican soldiers who were deployed to Juárez for the operation that began in March 2008.

"Ciudad Juárez is a glaring example of the damaging consequences of increasing the military's interaction with civilians in the context of counter-drug operations," said Luis Arriaga, the director of Center Prodh. "Human-rights violations are rampant because these soldiers are not punished for the abuses they commit."

The Chihuahua Human Rights Commission, a government agency, reported in September 2009 that it had received more than 1,450 complaints of alleged violations by security forces during Joint Operation Chihuahua, the report said.

The complaints against soldiers include arbitrary detentions, torture, disappearances of people and sexually molesting women.

Although the Mexican Federal Police has taken over the crackdown against the cartels in Juárez, residents are also voicing complaints against federal officers for similar abuses.

Maureen Meyer, WOLA

associate for Mexico and Central America and the report's main author, said, "We want to give voice to victims of human-rights violations by Mexican security forces.
"Civilians in Chihuahua are not only afraid of the drug traffickers, they are also often afraid of the security forces that are meant to protect them."

Mexican military officials said they are trying to do a better job of policing the military.

In September, the U.S. State Department recommended to Congress that 15 percent of the money set aside for the Mérida Initiative to help Mexico, $26 million, be withheld until Mexico does more to prevent and prosecute human-rights abuses by its security forces.

The same U.S. State Department report also recommended that Congress release $36 million in Mérida funds that were previously withheld because of human-rights concerns.

Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com;546-6140.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_16264197