FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021-00016 From B-00001941117 UNCLASSIFIED rb 6 10 28 2021 Page 538 I To Subject FW Mexico Lopez Obrador Administration has Mixed Results on Human Rights Date Sun 9 Feb 2020 15 14 29 -0500 Official - SBU UNCLASSIFIED From SMART Core Sent Wednesday February 05 2020 3 50 PM Cc kb 6 Subject Mexico Lopez Obrador Administration has Mixed Results on Human Rights UNCLASSIFIED SBU Info Office SHR_DIR MRN Date DTG From Action E O TAGS Captions Reference 20 MEXICO 368 Feb 05 2020 052045Z FEB 20 AMEMBASSY MEXICO WASHDC SECSTATE ROUTINE 13526 PGOV PREL PHUM SMIG KTIP MX SENSITIVE A 18 Mexico 307 B 19 Mexico 3428 C 19 Mexico 3804 Mexico Lopez Obrador Administration has Mixed Results on Human Rights Subject 1 SBU Summary President Lopez Obrador demonstrated his commitment to human rights at the outset of his administration by launching numerous initiatives including reopening the investigation into the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students Ref A The administration took steps to incorporate human rights training into its training for the National Guard showed some progress on FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021-00016 B-00001941 117 UNCLASSIFIED 10 28 2021 Page 539 trafficking in persons TIP prosecutions and worked to address its forensics crisis Several U S programs have been instrumental to that progress Still Mexico struggled to show concrete progress on other issues in 2019 States and the federal government continued to lag in combatting the use of torture and Mexico remained one of the most dangerous countries for human rights activists and journalists End summary SBU New Focus on Disappearances 2 SBU When Lopez Obrador took office he prioritized the tasks of locating and identifying missing persons estimated at the time to exceed 40 000 people and said his government had no financial ceiling for these efforts He reestablished the National Search System SNB invited help from international organizations and created a digital missing persons platform He increased the SNB budget for 2020 to USD 38 2 million an 80 percent increase from 2019 The government announced a National Disappearances Plan and a National Forensics Plan States also made progress on establishing search commissions as the 2017 Disappearances Law required - 29 states now have commissions up from 20 in 2018 INL in conjunction with FBI is in the process of donating Combined DNA Index System CODIS hardware and software to the Federal Prosecutor General's office and five pilot states to assist in building a DNA database for both criminal investigations and the identification of missing persons 3 SBU These initiatives are still in their early phases but have shown results Authorities located 873 clandestine graves with 1 124 bodies in the first 13 months of the administration Of these authorities identified 395 bodies 35 percent of those found and returned 243 remains to their families In January 2020 the national search commissioner released updated numbers of missing persons bringing the total to 61 637 The announcement was an important step forward in improving data accuracy and transparency but underlines the enormous scope of the problem Families of the disappeared appreciate the government's increased focus on the issue but express frustration that the government seems no closer to solutions SBU Renewed Spotlight on Ayotzinapa Case 4 SHU In September 2014 a group of 43 college students from Ayotzinapa disappeared in lguala Guerrero Ref A The Pena Nieto government concluded perpetrators executed and incinerated the students at a trash dump but an international forensics team disputed this finding Lopez Obrador's first FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021-00016 B-00001941 117 UNCLASSIFIED 10 28 2021 Page 540 presidential decree promised there will be no barriers no obstacles to arriving at the truth and created a Truth and Justice Commission The Truth Commission created interagency commissions at federal and state levels but has not yet made much progress in the case In 2019 the government also invited the return of international experts coordinated by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 5 SBU In parallel the Prosecutor General's office created a new unit in 2019 to renew the investigation but has made no visible progress in holding perpetrators accountable for the disappearances In September a judge ordered the release of El Gil the highest-profile detainee in the case along with 43 other suspects after finding the evidence was insufficient for conviction and authorities obtained their testimonies through torture El Gil's release and the government's slow progress frustrated families of the disappeared who have been increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Lopez Obrador administration SBU New National Guard Sparks HR Objections 6 SBU Another signature initiative by the Lopez Obrador administration the National Guard triggered strong opposition from civil society and international organizations who claimed the use of what they characterized as a militarized security force for domestic security violated international human rights laws In an effort to address these concerns the government signed an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner to assist with training Guard forces in human rights Despite initial fears the deployment of the Guard has not impacted human rights The National Human Rights Commission CNDH received roughly the same number of complaints of violations by security forces in 2019 as it did in 2018 prior to the force's establishment SBU Efforts to Reduce Trafficking in Persons 7 SBU Trafficking in persons TIP has seen some progress during the first year of the administration Accusing the prior administration of mismanaging funds for TIP victims Lopez Obrador's government announced it would stop financing anti-trafficking organizations and instead directly run shelters and provide victim care Note INL is funding the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to work with the Mexican government on developing accreditation standards for TIP shelters End note In July 2019 the government released a draft 2019-2024 national action plan but the final version is still pending The U S Department of Justice DOJ OPDAT with Merida Initiative funds helped train federal and state FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021-00016 B-00001941 117 UNCLASSIFIED 10 28 2021 Page 541 prosecutors in TIP investigation and prosecution resulting in several successful prosecutions ref B The Executive Secretariat of the National System on Public Security SESNSP reported identifying 644 victims of trafficking in persons in 2019 compared with 572 in 2018 a 12 6 percent increase State authorities also initiated 515 trafficking related cases in 2019 up from 385 in 2018 an increase of almost 34 percent SBU but Little Attention to Torture 8 SBU When Lopez Obrador entered office he stressed there would never again be repression and torture in Mexico In 2019 the CNDH received 240 complaints for inhumane treatment and 103 for torture by investigative and police officers Authorities continue to investigate these cases but none have reached conclusion In 2018 only 17 torture cases reached a verdict with only two resulting in a guilty verdict Prominent civil society organization Center Prodh said weak investigations are a key underlying cause for the lack of torture convictions The General Law on Torture required each state to create a specialized prosecutors' unit for torture or at least a specialized unit to investigate torture allegations Three years later only 10 states have specialized prosecutors' offices 10 states have specialized investigation units and 12 states lack either 9 SBU The Mexican government supported CNDH efforts to promote and apply United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners Mandela Rules in Mexican prisons With Merida Initiative support CNDH created competency standards to train and certify correctional personnel on more humane treatment of Mexican prisoners In September 2019 the first 48 correctional officers obtained their certification INL plans to support the certification of 200 additional correctional officers in 2020 SBU Violent Environment for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists 10 SBU The government recognized the need to provide better protection to journalists and human rights defenders but attacks on them remained a serious concern The Washington Office on Latin America reported killings of 23 human rights defenders and 12 journalists in Mexico in 2019 The Committee to Protect Journalists said Mexico was the deadliest country in the world for journalists in 2019 Mexico' s key federal mechanism to protect human rights defenders and journalists covers 1 039 beneficiaries with only 35 staff members to handle cases In 2019 three individuals under the protection mechanism were killed The government announced it will restructure the mechanism to strengthen prevention FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021-00016 B-00001941117 UNCLASSIFIED 10 28 2021 Page 542 measures apply proper protection measures and ensure access to justice and to integral reparations SBU Controversy over Elected Human Rights Ombudsman 11 SBU The CNDH has played an important role overseeing government institutions and safeguarding human rights since its inception in 1992 However in a controversial move and in the midst of allegations about a fraudulent process the Senate voted to install Rosario Piedra a close ally to President Lopez Obrador as ombudsman on November 12 Civil society and academics widely view her commission as Lopez Obrador's attempt to influence the institution Ref C 12 SBU Comment Lopez Obrador's willingness to acknowledge the severity of the human rights situation in Mexico is a welcome departure from previous governments Still the magnitude of the human rights challenges facing Mexico is immense His government will need to strengthen institutional frameworks better coordinate government and civil society efforts implement control mechanisms for security forces and step up protection mechanisms for victims to deliver the results Mexicans desire SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED Signature Landau Drafted By Cleared By Mexico City t- - - ----- ----- ' Approved By Released By Info r - - -- - - ' ---- ----''Mexico City Mexico City ·' ---- EXE reamer John Mexico City MEXIC9 b 6 Mexico City NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE WHITE HOUSE OFC OF THE VICE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE DNI WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE CIA WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE DIA WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC ROUTINE HQ USNORTHCOM ROUTINE HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL ROUTINE WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS ROUTINE ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE ROUTINE FL-2021-00496 10 28 2021 FL-2021 -00016 B-00001941117 UNCLASSIFIED XMT CARACAS AMEMBASSY Action Post Dissemination Rule NONE DIR_SHR_DIR UNCLASSIFIED SBU Sender Recipient 10 28 2021 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