Pena Nieto Should Focus on Mexico's Human Rights Crisis in Annual Report Ana Cristina Ruelas - Sin Embargo | |
go to original August 31, 2016 |
Following President Pena Nieto's third State-of-the-Union address, Inside The Americas examined the human rights crisis aggravated by free trade and the war on drugs. (teleSUR English)
On September 1, President Enrique Peña Nieto will give his fourth annual report on his government. According to a video posted this week, he is changing the paraphernalia that highlighted the first three reports and is opening his doors to a group of young people who will recount “what the government has done over the last 4 years.” The video shows a president indifferent to society’s demands and, in regard to those, the reflections of this column.
Changing the format of the report reflects, again, the lack of recognition of a human rights crisis, for which he must be accountable, and is a new way of presenting the well renowned “enough of your complaints” [goverment advertisement in 2015]. Yet again, the President minimizes the challenges facing the country and continues to turn his back to the imminent necessity, as well as to citizens' demands.
While it is true that we as people live through good and bad times, as noted by the President, his government has to - in large part - ensure the good ones. That is why the social pact, we ceded freedoms to the State to ensure well-being and good communal life; if not, the State would be meaningless and we would return to a natural state.
What we are experiencing in this country is not only something adverse or painful—as the video also shows—it is a serious human rights crisis and a mountain of corrupt actions where those closest to the person giving the report are allegedly involved. It is no exaggeration, we deserve to complain and point it out, we are talking about forced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and widespread torture, with which a large number of public officials from all three government levels [federal, state and municipal] are alleged perpetrators.
This deserves answers and a prompt explanation and the report could be the ideal opportunity. Mexican men and women deserve to know the government's version of events, actions being undertaken to avoid repetition and the sanctions to be imposed on those involved. Citizen reconciliation with the State will not result from turning a back to reality and showing the “good things.” Denying the problem has only increased the outrage and apathy.
Yes, the challenges are definitely complex, but why not call them by their name? Beyond telling us the good, it would be worthwhile if, for the first time, the President told us what he will do to address them, a detailed list of actions, effects, possible outcomes, and indicators to measure them.
Read the rest at Mexico Voices
Translated by Amanda Coe
Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico — on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx
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