International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 30 August

Transcript of video

(In the march)

They were taken alive, we want them back alive! (Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos)

Families united will never be defeated! (Familias unidas, jamás serán vencidas)

We want victims to be found alive and punishment to perpetrators! (Presentación con vida y castigo a los culpables)

Where is Jorge? Where is he? (¿Dónde está Jorge? ¿Dónde está?)

Where is Lauro? Where is he? (¿Dónde está Lauro? ¿Dónde está?)

Where is Sergio? Where is he? (¿Dónde está Sergio? ¿Dónde está?)

Where is José? Where is he? (¿Dónde está José? ¿Dónde está?)

Where is Raul Ignancio? (¿Dónde Raúl Ignacio?)

Where is José Alberto? (¿Dónde está José Alberto?)

Punishment to perpetrators (Castigo a los culpables)

Where are they? Where are they? Where are our children? (¿Dónde están? ¿Dónde están? ¿Nuestros hijos dónde están?)

(First Speech)

The International Day of victims of Enforced Disappearance is celebrated around the world each August 30th. Perhaps, for most people, it is just one more day. But for families like us, it is a day to remember to the hundreds of men, women, young people and children that one morning, afternoon or evening disappeared. They were disappeared and we are looking for them. We, mothers, fathers, spouses, sons and daughters keep shouting the names of our disappeared in the streets. We ask citizens their support, collaboration and their testimony in case they have witnessed a disappearance. We ask the government to do what they have not done in years: find our relatives, know the truth and punish the perpetrators.

(Second speech)

We do not wish you to go through the same situation as we do. Do not be indifferent and insensible to this tragedy that lots of families are going through in the state of Coahuila and in Mexico in general.

Civil Society organizations from Mexico and Central America sign agreement with government to identify victims of the San Fernando and Cadereyta Massacre

La Jornada: Blanche Petrich

So far, despite the promises of the authorities during the past six years, the national registry of disappeared persons and the genetic data banks of the federal government and the states does not work. They are anarchic and have failed to identify a single person being sought by relatives, sometimes even for over ten years.

Ana Lorena Delgadillo, of the Foundation for Justice and the Rule of Law, explains that each system operates in complete disarray, with no unifying criteria or capture of information or handling of DNA samples.

These shortcomings were pointed out in the 2009 ruling by the Interamerican Court of Human Rights (IACHR) regarding the so-called Cotton Field femicides that occurred in Ciudad Juárez. The Court ordered the Mexican government to correct this gap by adopting uniform, internationally accepted protocols throughout the country.

“In that court order is everything that we need to upgrade and operate the genetic databases. It’s as simple as applying the ruling to the entire country,” the specialist said 

Through the Foundation, Delgadillo works with organizations for the disappeared in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to locate migrants. She was also an adviser to the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) for the Frontier Project in Ciudad Juárez.

Forced displacement of 70 people from ejido Puebla: Frayba Urgent Action

dorset chiapas solidarity

San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

August 23, 2013

AU No. 4

Urgent Action

Forced displacement of 70 people from ejido Puebla

According to information received by this Human Rights Centre, today, in Ejido Puebla, Chenalhó, as a result of the climate of violence prevalent in the area and the attacks, threats and harassment, 12 families (70 people ) have been forcibly displaced and are currently in the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Some of them are ill.

Currently, in the ejido Puebla, three Catholic families (23 individuals) who remained in the community are at risk, these are the families of Manuel Cruz, Gustavo Sántiz and Francisco López, as well as families practicing the Baptist and Pentecostal religions who remained in the ejido Puebla and are being threatened.

Given the facts and the seriousness of the situation, this Centre for Human Rights demands and makes an Urgent call:

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