President Calderón claims 57% reduction in homicides in Ciudad Juárez since 2010
02/25/12 - On Friday, February 17, President Felipe Calderón kicked off the annual Employment Fair (Feria del Empleo) in Ciudad Juárez. This day also happened to mark the second anniversary of the “Todos Somos Juarez” (“We Are All Juárez”) initiative that was created because of the increased violence in the city that bears the same name. (Click … Read more
Deadly prison riot in Nuevo León points to official complicity
02/24/12 (by cmolzahn) – A massive prison riot broke out in the Apodaca medium security correctional institution near Monterrey, Nuevo León on February 19, killing 44 inmates. Officials reported early on that the clash was between the rival Gulf and Zetas drug cartels, which have been embroiled in a bitter turf battle in the region since … Read more
Lynching in Mexico highlights mistrust of institutions, advancements in oral trials
02/19/12 – A mob lynching in the State of Mexico (Estado de México, Edomex) last week has exposed some of the strengths and weaknesses in Mexico’s public security and criminal justice system. The lynching took place on the night of Friday, February 10, when over 20 people from the town of Chalco, which is about 15 … Read more
Judicial Developments and Updates in the state of Yucatán
02/18/12 (by mwserrano) – The past two months, the judiciary in the state of Yucatán has been busy with reforms, swearing ins, inaugurations, and more. Most recently, in February, the Yucatán judicial branch trained on the topic of justice for youthful offenders (justicia para adolescentes). The trainings were part of a series that began months … Read more
Implementation of “jucios orales” in Oaxaca will move forward this year
02/14/12 – The President of the State Court of Oaxaca (Tribunal Superior de Justicia del Estado, TSJE), Justice Alfredo Rivera Lagunas, expressed that in May of this year the new criminal justice system will be established in the coastal region (La Costa) of the state. This announcement came after analyzing the results of a study … Read more
General accused of being on the Zetas’ payroll
02/18/12 – According to information published by news outlet Reforma, a General of the Sixth Military Zone based in Coahuila– a state in northern Mexico– was on the payroll of the Zetas’ criminal organization, as investigations by the Military Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de Justicia Militar, PGJM) and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General … Read more
Senate Proposes the Creation of a Special Auditor for the Federal Police
02/18/12— All parties of the Mexican Senate were in support of an initiative that was presented by Senator Fernando Baeza Meléndez of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI) to create a Special Auditor for the Federal Police (Auditor Especial de la Policías Federales, AEPF) as an organ of the Federal Superior Audit Agency … Read more
Coahuila approves new Code of Criminal Procedure
02/18/12 – Coahuila took a big step towards the implementation of the new criminal justice system with the approval of the new Code of Criminal Procedure. The code, enacted by Governor Ruben Moreira in a formal ceremony on February 16, 2012, was unanimously accepted by the Congress of Coahuila with 21 votes in favor, zero against, and no abstentions. Governor Moreira presided over the official … Read more
Advances in Tamaulipas towards oral trials despite lack of resources
02/18/12 – The Tamaulipas State Judiciary is continuing to work towards opening a Criminal Justice Center (Centro de Justicia Penal), the first of its kind in Mexico, and where the first oral trials in Tamaulipas will take place. Holding oral trials represents a major step toward implementing the new justice system that will be operating nationally by 2016 as mandated in … Read more
New E.U. Diplomatic Leader Reaffirms Plans to Strengthen Strategic Partnership with Mexico, Increase Support to Anti-Drug Trafficking Efforts
02/16/12—In a Mexico City press conference last week, the European Union (E.U.) reaffirmed its commitment to its Strategic Partnership with Mexico, pledging increased support for anti-drug and human rights efforts. E.U. Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton spoke during what has been her first tour of Latin America since … Read more
