La politica es la politica will post periodic English
language translations sourced from the Americas Mexico Blog.
The following come from press reports in English and
Spanish:
Prosecutor says 5
police officers shot dead outside Mexico City tried to extort suspects
AP/Washington Post:
"Mexican authorities say five police officers fatally shot near Mexico
City after stopping a car were trying to extort money when they were attacked.
Mexico State prosecutor Alfredo Castillo says the officers
from the town of Ixtapaluca (Ees-tah-pah-lu-ca) asked the four La Familia
Michoacana cartel members in the vehicle for 6,000 pesos (about $460) to let
them go."
Mexico open to public
scrutiny on human rights: Secretary of Interior Poiré
Milenio:
"Mexico is open to public scrutiny on the matter of human rights and will
attend to the recommendations, criticisms and concerns of the various
organizations on the basis of solid, consistent and verifiable information,
Interior Minister Alejandro Poire affirmed.
At the opening of the annual National Meeting of Directors
of Civil Protection, he acknowledged and supported the efforts made in this
regard by the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), and assured his
respect for the efforts of international organizations of all kinds, such as
Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Poire said that through the security strategy that the
federal government is leading to reduce crime rates "we are sowing the
seeds of a more just, prosperous and secure Mexico." Precisely in the
pursuit of that justice, he explained, "the Mexican state and the
government of President Felipe Calderon shares, has made its own and has so
demonstrated, the primary and essential goal of protecting, promoting and
defending human rights."
He said that there is no doubt that Mexico has complete
conviction that human rights is a task for all, that is, for authorities, civil
society organizations and autonomous bodies specializing in the field, both
within the country and abroad. Poire said it is a responsibility to so be,
"and we remain open to criticism, because that way we can move forward
faster in the protection of the rights of our citizens."
Mexico plans five new
military bases in Zeta territory
InSight Crime:
"Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the
announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's
primary areas of operation ... according to the newspaper Excelsior. Four bases
will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both
among the northern border states most affected by drug violence.
The initiative comes as part of the government's drive to
reinstate control in areas where criminal groups have, in some cases, overrun
local authorities The Mexican Department of Defense stated that installing
greater military presence in these areas will help return the rule of law,
reports Excelsior."
Nuevo Leon government
demands that police who claim they were tortured present their accusations
CNN Mexico:
"The government of the northern state of Nuevo Leon demanded that the
Monterrey municipal police who, on Tuesday night made accusations of torture by
the State Investigation Agency (IEA), present their evidence to prove or
clarify responsibility, the government spokesman for state security, Jorge
Domene Zambrano, said at a press conference.
On Tuesday night, three presumed municipal police, wearing
hoods, appeared at police headquarters in Monterrey, the state capital, where
they held a press conference to make accusations that they were tortured by
elements of the State Investigation Agency (IEA).
The complainants say they were tortured during an operation
by the State and the Army on January 21 as part of the police security
purification process at municipal police headquarters. The state spokesman said
that a total of 109 policemen had been
retained that day, of which 60 were released the same day.
Five policemen continue to be held in the facilities of the
AEI "because they appear to have links to some previous
investigatons," while another 44 were taken that day to the University for
Security Sciences, where they are being evaluated, explained Domene Zambrano.
"We reiterate the official position of the state
government is to attend to this and, if necessary, punish those responsible, if
this is true, or (determine) if it is a falsehood, which the statements of
these individuals can turn out to be," he added. ... The spokesman stated
that identity of the persons who publicly made accusations of alleged human rights violations is unknown
and demanded that the municipal police department provide their identity.
... The State Ombudsman, Minerva Martinez announced that the
Human Rights Commission (CEDHNL) has opened an inquiry to investigate these
events, and invited the police to file a complaint with the agency. "I
guarantee the safety of these people and their privacy," she said. The
attorney general of Nuevo Leon, Adrian de la Garza Santos, reiterated that
"total protection" will be provided to the alleged victims and he
invited them to approach the authorities to file their complaint."
Romney, Gingrich
fireworks over immigration
CBS News:
"With Florida's Republican presidential primary just days away ... the
campaign took an ugly turn Wednesday, as sparks flew between Mitt Romney and
Newt Gingrich over the issue of immigration.
Gingrich started the day's slug-fest --- sounding
incredulous that Romney would say illegal immigrants should -- in Romney's
words -- self-deport. In other words, leave on their own. "I think,"
Gingrich said, "you have to live in worlds of Swiss bank accounts and
Cayman Island accounts and automatic $20 million a year income with no work to
have some fantasy this far from reality."
Romney fired back -- saying Gingrich is also on the record
for supporting the idea that illegal immigrants will leave the country if
they're denied work. Said Romney, "I recognize that it's very tempting to
come out to an audience like this and pander to the audience. ... I think
that's unbecoming of a presidential candidate."
Immigrant Children
Face Uncertain Futures, Foster Care
Huffington Post:
"More than 5,000 children of immigrants are languishing in state foster
care nationwide because their parents were living in the United States
illegally and were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities.
These children can spend years in foster homes, and some are
put up for adoption after termination of their parents' custody rights. With
neither state nor federal officials addressing the problem, thousands more are
poised to enter the child welfare system every year.
A recent report by the Applied Research Center (ARC), a national
racial-justice think tank, found that when immigration enforcement methods
intersect with the child welfare system, consequences for immigrant families
can be devastating and long-lasting."
Mexican actor hopes
Oscar nod will help migrants
AFP: "Mexican
actor Demian Bichir hopes his surprise Oscar nod for "A Better Life"
will raise awareness about the 11 million undocumented migrants in the United
States. ... Bichir told reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday that "now
more people will know who I am," -- but drawing attention to the
difficulties faced by undocumented workers in the United States would be the
"real prize", he added.
He expressed hope that "A Better Life" -- the
story of a father trying to protect his son from the gang culture and
immigration policing of Los Angeles -- would do for illegal migrants what
"Philadelphia", the 1993 AIDS drama starring Tom Hanks, did for the
gay community in America"
Relative of victim
says fear hinders reconstruction of the facts of Casino Royal attack
CNN Mexico: Fear
inhibits the reconstruction of the facts of the tragedy in the Casino Royal in
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, where, on August 25, 2011, 52 people were killed. So
stated Edmundo Jimenez Ramirez, a relative of one of the victims of the attack,
to the press during a meeting of families of the victims.
"The problem is the issue of witnesses. We are hopeful.
There are people who were present who took notice of everything bad about (the
establishment)," he said. "People don't want to get into trouble,
because there is fear, which we all have."
This Wednesday afternoon, five months after the attack, a
dozen mourners gathered outside the casino to pray for the victims and demand
punishment of the authorities for crimes of omission or commission and to
require changes to the law to provide more security in this type of
establishment.
Without specifying whether the fear is of the authorities or
organized crime, Jimenez Ramirez said that, so far, there are three people who
are willing to give their statements for the reconstruction of events,
including two who lost relatives in the attack.
Samara Pérez Muñiz, a survivor of the attack, estimated that
at least 10 people are necessary for a comprehensive reconstruction of the
event and to refute the results of the official investigation of the casino
fire, which concluded that the tragedy was inevitable."
Twitter: @TimothyEWilson
Email: lapoliticaeslapolitica [at] gmail [dot] com
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