Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In its latest Annual Human Rights Report, the United States Department of State has condemned Mexico for its failure to investigate and prosecute the majority of criminal cases, including homicides, torture, kidnappings, human trafficking, and extortion. The report, released recently, also underscored that the level of violence within the country remains alarmingly high.
Highlighting Mexico’s ongoing challenges in humanitarian matters, the department emphasized issues such as homicides, torture, arbitrary detentions, drug trafficking, gender violence, and violence against the LGTBIQ+ community as among the country’s principal concerns.
The report stated that there have been no significant changes in Mexico’s human rights situation throughout 2023. Furthermore, it pointed out that in various regions of the country, organizations involved in human trafficking continue to operate with the complicity of local authorities.
This denouncement by the US Department of State echoes similar concerns raised in previous reports. Last year, when confronted with similar criticisms, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador dismissed the findings, calling the State Department’s assessment “a mess” and accusing the agency of interference in Mexico’s internal affairs, labeling it a violation of international law.
Despite these objections, US authorities reiterated that many of the issues identified in previous reports persist, with new concerns emerging. Of particular note is the State Department’s alarm regarding escalating attacks against the judiciary.
Following President López Obrador’s public criticisms of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, US officials have taken note of heightened tensions within Mexico’s judicial system. The report highlighted instances where government supporters openly targeted the judiciary, including a protest in March 2023 where an effigy of the Court’s president, Norma Piña, was burned, alleging corruption.
Additionally, the report highlighted the severe restrictions on freedom of expression in Mexico, particularly in light of the ongoing violence against journalists. It noted that government officials, including President López Obrador, have repeatedly discredited and criticized journalists, portraying them as biased and corrupt. These actions have been further substantiated by data from organizations like Article 19, which documented at least 176 derogatory comments from the President’s Office directed at the media, journalists, and civil society organizations in 2022.
Despite these challenges, the report acknowledged the resilience of independent media in Mexico, which continue to express diverse opinions without significant restrictions.
As Mexico grapples with these persistent human rights concerns, the findings of the US Department of State serve as a reminder of the ongoing need for comprehensive reforms and concerted efforts to address these pressing issues within the country.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In its latest Annual Human Rights Report, the United States Department of State has condemned Mexico for its failure to investigate . . .
