Congresswoman Barbara Lee Urges Secretary Clinton to Enforce Human Rights Laws of Merida Initiative
Media Contact: Joel Payne, (202) 225- 2661
Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) joined Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and 22 other members of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to Secretary Clinton urging the Administration to give priority to the human rights requirements of the Mérida Initiative in its dialogue with Mexico.
The letter comes in the lead up to Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s visit to Washington, DC, where he will meet with President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Below are key excerpts of the letter to Secretary Clinton:
“Congress has mandated by law that 15 percent of select funds under the Mérida Initiative be withheld until the State Department confirms that Mexico is complying with four human rights requirements.”
“The first of these requirements states that civilian authorities must investigate and prosecute members of the federal police and military who have been credibly alleged to have violated internationally recognized human rights.”
“Currently, the military in Mexico assumes jurisdiction over all crimes committed by military personnel, including human rights violations against civilians. In recent years, human rights organizations have documented countless abuses – including egregious violations such as forced disappearance, rape, torture, and murder. Mexico’s system of military jurisdiction not only contributes immensely to the impunity with which these abuses are committed, it further tarnishes the image of the Mexican armed forces and the efficacy of efforts to curb drug-related violence.”
“I commend President Calderón for proposing to reform the country’s military justice system late last year. However, the reform does not go far enough because it would only exclude three crimes from military authority, and only after a preliminary analysis by military officials. The passage of such an incomplete reform would not place Mexico in compliance with the requirements of the Mérida Initiative.”
“Mexico is clearly one of our most important partners, and our histories, economies, and peoples are deeply intertwined. The spiraling drug-related violence in Mexico requires the sustained assistance of the United States, not only in supporting the country’s efforts to improve its judicial and policing systems, but in combating our own voracious demand for drugs and the unfettered flow of illegal arms from our own country.”
“However, if the human rights requirements of the Mérida Initiative are not met, by law, 15 percent of select funds must be withheld until adequate reforms are implemented.”
The full text of the letter is attached to this release.
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