• Mexico: Letter to President Peña Nieto

    On behalf of Human Rights Watch, I wish to congratulate you on your inauguration as president. You have assumed leadership of a country whose recent human rights record is appalling. Addressing the abuses committed during the tenure of your predecessor and preventing them in the future will require immediate attention at the highest levels of your administration. I write to urge you to rapidly set out a concrete, detailed plan to address these serious problems.

    Dec 11, 2012
  • Mexico: Letter to Nuevo León Congress on Criminalizing Enforced Disappearances

    On behalf of Human Rights Watch, I am writing to offer recommendations regarding the potential reform of Nuevo León’s criminal code to include the crime of enforced disappearance. We understand that the newly inaugurated state congress intends to undertake this reform before the end of the year, and we support efforts to address this serious problem.

    Oct 26, 2012
  • Mexico: Letter to Senate on Military Justice Reform
    This letter will lay out three principles that are essential to ensuring that alleged abuses committed by military personnel are investigated and prosecuted in a civilian justice system that is independent and impartial, in accordance with international human rights principles and the jurisprudence of Mexico’s Supreme Court.
    Apr 10, 2012
  • Mexico: Letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Francisco Blake Mora
    We are pleased to discover that we appear to agree on some of the key elements that should be incorporated into the reform to the Military Code of Justice. However, while your letter may help to clarify the intent of the executive branch on these principles, we are concerned that the legislation as drafted does not unambiguously ensure this will be the interpretation of the law when it is implemented.
    Nov 22, 2010
  • Mexico: Letter to the Senate and the House of Deputies
    While the transfer of any cases of human rights violations from the military to civilian jurisdiction represents a step in the right direction, the proposed reform will still leave a significant gap in accountability for most abuses committed by members of the military, and should be amended by Congress.
    Nov 10, 2010
  • Mexico: Letter to President Calderon
    We are writing to express our concern regarding your conflicting messages on the need to protect human rights in Mexico. We respectfully urge you to affirm that respecting human rights is an integral part of your government's public security efforts, and support this rhetoric by strengthening the laws, institutions and practices that protect these rights.
    Sep 24, 2010
  • US: Withhold Funds for Mexico Tied to Human Rights Performance
    The US Congress should withhold $36 million in funds to Mexico that are tied to human rights requirements, Human Rights Watch said today in a joint memo with Amnesty International, the Latin American Working Group, and the Washington Office on Latin America. Contrary to the findings of a recent State Department report, Mexico has failed to meet the four human rights requirements established by the Merida Initiative - including eliminating the practice of torture and prosecuting the military for human rights violations against civilians - which must be fulfilled for the funds to be released.
    Sep 14, 2010
  • Mexico: Letter to Secretary of the Interior regarding repeated threats against human rights defenders in Tijuana
    We are writing to express our deep concern regarding repeated threats against human rights defenders and think it is crucial that measures be undertaken immediately to ensure that these defenders can carry out their activities freely and safely.
    May 25, 2010
  • Letter to Members of the Mexican Political Coordination Committee
    A letter from HRW to the members of the Political Coordination Committee of Mexico urging them to approve the human rights reforms to the constitution passed by the Senate on April 8, 2010 which are currently being considered in the Chamber of Deputies.
    Apr 13, 2010
  • Letter to Dr. Plascencia Villanueva, Chairman of the Mexican National Commission of Human Rights
    Jan 28, 2010