Attorney General Arturo Chávez Chávez Resigns
03/31/11— Felipe Calderón confirmed today that Attorney General (PGR) Arturo Chávez Chávez has resigned after 18 months in office. Chávez is the second attorney general to resign under President Felipe Calderón since he took office in 2006. When Chávez was appointed the position, he was highly criticized by both opposition party officials and civil society organizations and it was also noted in WikiLeaks cables that … Read more
Mexican Media Agrees to New Drug War Coverage Guidelines
03/31/11 - For the first time ever, many of Mexico’s largest media outlets have agreed to a 10-point accord that sets coverage guidelines for the Mexican media. These voluntary guidelines cover more than 700 outlets across the country, including TV networks, a number of large radio station chains and several of Mexico’s most influential newspaper groups. … Read more
WikiLeaks Reveals Mexico Receives More “Heavy” Weapons from Central America than the U.S.
03/30/11— It was recently discovered from WikiLeaks that the most “fearsome” weapons used by Mexico’s drug cartels enter the country from Central American countries, not the United States. The cables were written during a series of bi-lateral conferences which took place in Cuernacava, Phoenix, and Tapachula in 2009. These heavy weapons include grenades, light anti-tank weapons, heavy caliber … Read more
TBI TO PRESENT CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ON MEXICO’S DRUG WAR
03/30/11— On Thursday, March 31, the Trans-Border Institute (TBI) will provide testimony for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management will hold a hearing entitled “The U.S. Homeland Security Role in the Mexican War Against Drug Cartels.” This Subcommittee is chaired by the Hon. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and … Read more
Proposed Amendments to Military Service Law
03/29/11— César Horacio Duarte Jáquez, the governor of the state of Chihuahua, sent a bill to Congress proposing amendments to the Military Service Law with aims of making it obligatory for young people who neither work nor go to school, also known as “ninis,” to join the military for three years in attempts to prevent young … Read more
New Mexico Mayor and Police Chief Are Charged with Smuggling Guns to Mexico
03/29/11 – The mayor and police chief of a New Mexico border town were charged with forming part of a U.S. smuggling ring that sold weapons to drug traffickers across the border in Mexico. The smuggling ring was concentrated in the small town of Columbus, which is located across from Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua. They were … Read more
PEMEX celebrates 73rd Anniversary
03/28/11 – On Friday March 18, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company “Petróleos Mexicanos,” known as Pemex, celebrated its 73rd anniversary. In a ceremony held that same day, Pemex Director Juan José Suárez Coppel stated that any kind of acts of corruption will not be tolerated. He announced that this anniversary should be a celebration of … Read more
Report Indicates 230,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Mexico
03/28/11— The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued a report stating that there are an estimated 230,000 people displaced as a result of the violence from the Mexican Drug War and other factors. The report, titled Internal Displacement: Global Overview of Trends and Developments in 2010, asserts that in 2010 “most IDPs originated from the states most affected by … Read more
National Commission on Human Rights Works to Protect Children Working in Mexico
03/28/11— The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) stated that there are over three million children under the age of 14 working in Mexico. Of these three million engaged in child labor, it is estimated that 42% work in agriculture while 22% work commercially. The NCHR said that in most cases children are facing harsh economic … Read more
108 Judges and Public Servants are sanctioned by CJF
03/25/11 – During the last two years, 108 public servants of the Federal Judiciary have been punished by the Federal Judiciary Council (Consejo de la Judicatura Federal, CJF) for irregularities that range from lack of professionalism, dishonesty, impartiality, sexual harassment, and abuse of power. These statistics were made known to the public in an attempt … Read more
