Mexico wary of rights violations on U.S. border
Mexico says it will be keeping an eye out for human rights violations after Texas Gov. Rick Perry pledged $9.7 million to step up security along the Mexico-Texas border.
In a statement sent out late Wednesday, Mexico said it understood that the fight against crime and violence along the border must be fought on both sides.
But the statement also called on the United States to allow more legal migration and respect the rights of Mexicans north of the border.
“Without a doubt, the security of both countries, especially along the border, would benefit from the establishment of new mechanisms that would allow legal, secure and ordered migration that respects human rights,” the statement said.
Mexico has stepped up security along the Mexican side of the border in the face of a wave of drug violence that has left dozens dead and forced President Vicente Fox to deploy soldiers and federal agents to border cities.
While Mexico has tolerated increased security on the U.S. side – including citizen patrols – it has warned against militarizing the border.
The statement by Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said the Mexican government “takes any threat to its national security or the region of North America with the greatest seriousness” and for that reason has sought to work closely with U.S. authorities on making the border region safer.
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Wall irks Mexico
The Mexican government, angered by a U.S. proposal to extend a wall along the border to keep out migrants, pledged yesterday to block the plan and organize an international campaign against it.
The Mexican government has taken out ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. It also is hiring an American public relations firm to improve its image.
Soure: edmontonsun.com
Mexico angrily vows to block proposed U.S. border wall
The Mexican government, angered by a U.S. proposal to extend a wall along the border to keep out migrants, pledged Tuesday to block the plan and organize an international campaign against it.
Facing a growing tide of anti-immigrant sentiment north of the border, the Mexican government has taken out ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. It also is hiring an American public-relations firm to improve its image and counter growing U.S. concerns about immigration.
Mexican President Vicente Fox denounced the U.S. measures, passed by the House of
US-Mexico border wall would be 'disgraceful' - Fox
Mexican President Vicente Fox denounced as "disgraceful and shameful" yesterday a proposal to build a high-tech wall on the US-Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants.
Concerned about the huge numbers of illegal immigrants streaming across the border and worried it could be an entry point for terrorists, a US lawmaker has proposed building two parallel steel and wire fences running from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Coast. But Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said a wall running the length of a border would cost too much.
Mexico has expressed indignation
U.S. rules stalling trucks from Mexico
The United States government is still negotiating safety requirements for Mexican trucks 18 months after the Supreme Court gave the green light for the trucks to drive on U.S. roads.
In the meantime, Mexican trucks are taking better and better care of their rigs, data from the U.S. Department of Transportation showed.
The number of trucks put "out of service" by border inspectors has been decreasing steadily to 21.5 percent in 2004, Ruben Torres, Department of Transportation field supervisor, said at the Maquila Industry conference in El Paso last week. The truckers are "doing their part to
Mexico officers wary of crossing drug cartels
On the front lines of the drug cartel wars, feigned ignorance can be bliss.
In an environment in which speaking too boldly against drug traffickers can prove deadly — an outspoken police chief was killed here in June only hours after taking office — local authorities prefer to lower their voices.
So it's not surprising that officers for Tamaulipas state and this border city had mixed feelings about legislation submitted to Mexico's Congress last week designed to give them more authority in the fight against "narcos."
One of the proposals would allow them to
Mexico calls for migrant plan, not troops at border
Mexico on Thursday called for immigration reform that was "orderly and respectful of human rights" after Arizona announced plans to expand the presence of the National Guard on the Mexico-U.S. border.
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano issued an executive order on Wednesday expanding the number of National Guard troops operating on the border with Mexico to fight illegal immigration.
"They are there to provide support to civilian law enforcement at the border. They are not there to militarize the border. We are not at war with Mexico," Gov. Napolitano said in comments published on Thursday
U.S. pays Mexico for border security
U.S. officials repeatedly have praised Mexico's efforts to bolster security on its side of the border as the countries try to present a united face against criminals and terrorists in the wake of Sept. 11.
But much of Mexico's increased border vigilance is bankrolled by U.S. taxpayers.
From X-ray scanners and helicopters to intelligence training, the United States has been quietly pouring millions into Mexico in hopes of bolstering U.S. national security. U.S. spending on military and police aid to Mexico has more than tripled in the past five years to $57.8 million.
The funding also marks
Mexico Lacks Clear Migratory Policy
The lack of a clear Mexican migratory policy puts it at a real disadvantage in defending the rights of its migrants that cross the US border against the northern nation´s repressive practices, La Jornada editorialized Thursday.
Referring to the US House-approved law that includes building a long wall and reinforcing border police, the daily pointed out that this will mean an increase in the already high number of people who die each year attempting to cross the frontier.
The Mexican government´s moral dilemma is how to demand fundamental rights of migrants when it applies similar repressive measures on
Mexico criticised over lack of human rights progress
Mexican President Vicente Foxs record on human rights has been disappointing in spite of pledges to put the issue at the top of the governments agenda, a rights group said on Wednesday.
Under Mr Fox, whose six-year term ends in December, Mexico has yet to establish accountability for past atrocities or to make serious progress in curbing the abuses that continue to be committed on a regular basis, said US-based Human Rights Watch in a report.
The findings are almost certain to upset Mr Fox, who in 2000 ended 71 years of rule by the
Mexico rights watchdog says police torture persists
Mexican police and prosecutors still use torture and their tactics have grown more sophisticated, despite President Vicente Fox's pledges to end such abuse, the national rights watchdog said on Tuesday.
Jose Luis Soberanes, president of the national human rights commission, said torture increasingly comes in the form of psychological rather than physical abuse.
"Unfortunately, torture is not a thing of the past," Soberanes told reporters, urging the government to become more zealous in combating it. "Torture has been modernized."
Threats, simulated executions, forcing the victim to hurt others or to watch others being tortured are among the
