Confidence Grows in Mexico's National Human Rights Commission Under New Leadership Emir Olivares Alfonso - La Jornada
go to original March 27, 2015

The attitude of the new president of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Luis Raúl González Pérez, regarding the Ayotzinapa case offers elements for hoping that there will be no concessions from this agency, given the grave violations of fundamental guarantees, maintained Alberto Herrera Aragón, former director of Amnesty International Mexico and a member of Human Rights Consultation [DH Consulta].

In forum #1PreguntaXAyotzinapa [#1QuestionAyotzinapa], organized by students by the Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico [UNAM], the activist indicated that the new ombudsman has taken a different attitude from the ones taken by his predecessors, particularly Raúl Plascencia.

Herrera Aragón said that in previous periods, confidence levels [expressed in public opinion polls] in the CNDH was 80 percent disappointment and 20 percent hope. But today, with González Pérez, the percentages have been reversed.

The attack against the Ayotzinapa students, Herrera recalled, occurred in September; the new ombudsman took office in late November. Weeks later, he created an investigative unit at the CNDH for that case. "With Plascencia, that would never have been expected; therefore, González Pérez must be given the benefit of the doubt."

Herrera Aragón affirmed that public human rights agencies must be capable of pointing out what political power doesn't want to hear; if they aren't capable of doing so, they do not serve society.

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