Obama should raise rights concerns with Mexico's Calderón, Human Rights Watch says

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Obama should raise rights concerns with Mexico's Calderón, Human Rights Watch says

2011-03-03 04:21:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on President Obama to raise human rights concerns when he meets with Mexican President Felipe Calderón tomorrow.

The two leaders will meet at the White House to discuss Mexico's ongoing drug war efforts. Since Calderón launched a military crackdown on drug cartels, drug-related deaths and grave human rights violations have increased significantly.

"One of the most glaring shortcomings of Calderón's strategy against drug cartels has been its failure to address widespread abuses by security forces," José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said.

"Any serious discussion of how to improve US-Mexico security cooperation needs to speak to this problem," he added.

An estimated 35,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence during the Calderón administration, including more than 15,000 in 2010. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission has also received nearly 5,000 allegations of human rights violations against the military since 2007, including killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and rape. Impunity reigns in the country, however, since only one soldier has been sentenced.

In a statement, the US-based organization criticizes the Calderón government for failing to take adequate steps to protect human rights defenders and journalists at risk. At least 31 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2007. The Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico documented 128 attacks and threats against human rights defenders from 2006 to mid-2009, only 2 percent of which were adequately investigated.

In 2007, the US announced the Mérida Initiative, a multi-year US security assistance package to aid Mexico in confronting organized crime. The US government has allocated roughly $1.5 billion in Mérida funding to Mexico, and the Obama administration requested nearly $300 million in additional funds in the fiscal year 2012 budget. A significant portion of Mérida funds allocated has been directed to training and equipping Mexico's security forces.

"Obama should send a clear public message to Calderón that security forces cannot run roughshod over human rights in their efforts to rein in violent cartels," Vivanco said.

"The longer the US remains silent on the serious violations being committed in Mexico, the more it sends a message that these abuses are acceptable."

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