Mexico: Treatment by police, paramilitary and others, of members of Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in the State of Veracruz, particularly those involved in distributing food and clothing, 1994-2000

The July 1995 Mexico Profile published by the U. S. Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) reports the following:

Because the PAN and PRD are strong in different regions of the country, there is a geographical component to patterns of repression and harassment. In much of southern Mexico, it is the PRD that poses the greatest threat to continued PRI rule. That includes Nayarit, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Hidalgo, and Veracruz, the states with the highest numbers of slain PRD sympathizers (Ch. VIII).

The PRD human rights report on abuses against its leaders, militants and sympathizers throughout Mexico during the first semester of 1997 states that an area of frequent and severe abuses in the State of Veracruz was the Huasteca region (13 Apr. 1999, Ch. 5). The Huasteca region extends within the states of Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz; however, the report identifies the Veracruzan Huasteca as an area where the guardias blancas or enforcers (see previous Responses and Q&A papers for references to guardias blancas) of caciques or local strongmen act with impunity (ibid.). The caciques of the area reportedly wield economic power and firepower, and control the local authorities (ibid.). Many local indigenous leaders are held in jail, while a Jesuit radio has reportedly been a target of constant harassment for reporting on arbitrary detentions and killings by the guardias blancas (ibid.). The report cites a few examples of PRD sympathizers or activists who were arbitrarily detained, but does not specify whether these or others were involved in food and clothing distribution. The report also provides an overallbreakdown of the party affiliation of the victims of abuses, although only nationally and not at the state level: 50 per cent of victims were militants, 23 per cent were sympathizers, and 27 per cent were leaders (dirigentes) (ibid.).

Various sources, such as Country Reports 1996 and Country Reports 1998, contain references to peasant leaders in rural areas of Veracruz suffering abuses. However, the sources consulted do not specify whether the victims were sympathizers or activists of the PRD. However, a reference to the security situation in the mountain regions of Veracruz bordering with other states can be found in Section 4.4 of the Research Directorate Q&A Paper Mexico: Armed Insurgent Groups (May 1997); the report states that the militarization of the region had been accompanied by reports of abuses against "peasants and peasant leaders, including PRD members, by the army and federal and state police, who suspect them of links to the EPR" (Popular Revolutionary Army).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS), Washington, DC. July 1995. Mexico Profile. (REFWORLD)

Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD), Mexico City. 13 April 2000. Informe semestral sobre la violación a los derechos humanos enero-junio de '97. "Las Huastecas." [Accessed 1 May 2000]

Additional Sources Consulted

Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook [Copenhagen]. 1997-1999.

IRB Databases.

Latin American Regional Reports: Mexico & NAFTA Report [London]. 1997-Mar. 2000.

Mexico NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. 1997-Mar. 2000.

News From Human Rights Watch [New York]. 1997-1999.

Weekly News Update on the Americas [New York]. 1998-1999.

World News Connection (WNC).

This list is not exhaustive. Country and subject-specific publications at the Resource Centre are not included.