New York Times reveals corruption and cover-up involving Wal-Mart de México
04/22/12 (written by cmolzahn) – According to a story published in the New York Times, Wal-Mart covered up a case of widespread corruption involving its largest subsidiary, Wal-Mart de México. The story, which can be read in full here, claims that in 2005 a Wal-Mart attorney alerted company executives to a practice of offering bribes to officials … Read more
Military General Killed in DF, Assailant on the Run
04/22/12 – On Friday, April 20, retired military General Mario Arturo Acosta Chaparro Escápite (70) died in an ambulance after being shot by a firearm at close range on the streets of Mexico City, the nation’s capital. According to witnesses and security videos that captured the incident, the assailant, who has yet to be identified, was … Read more
Amendment approved to better protect journalists, car bomb detonates outside newspaper agency
03/20/12 – The past week has been a roller coaster of sorts for members of the media in Mexico. On the one hand, a historical constitutional amendment was approved with the goal of better protecting journalists, their human rights, and the freedom of expression while simultaneously targeting the impunity that exists when journalists are victimized. … Read more
OAS announces the creation of the Centre for Cooperation in Combating Transnational Organized Crime
03/04/12 – José Miguel Insulza, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced the creation of the Centre for Cooperation in Combating Transnational Organized Crime. The purpose of such a center is to bring experts from different fields together and utilize their skills in order to combat and reduce organized crime. In … Read more
Alleged Successor of Crime Organization in Mexico City Captured
03/01/12- Around mid-day on March 1, 2012, the Attorney General of Mexico City (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Distrito Federal, PGJDF) publicly announced the capture of the alleged successor to “La Mano con Ojos” (The Hand with Eyes), a prevalent crime group in the region that broke from the Beltran-Leyva Organization in 2010. The alleged current … 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
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
Mexico Names First Female Chief of Federal Police
02/13/12 – For the first time ever in Mexico, a woman holds the title of Federal Chief of Police (Policía Federal, PF), an announcement that follows the previous appointments of two other females to high ranking positions in Mexico within the past year. Named on February 10, 2012, Maribel Cervantes Guerrero (41) replaced former chief of … Read more
Mexico Denies Human Rights Watch Allegations
1/28/12 – Mexico’s Interior Ministry (Secretario de Gobernación, Segob) sent out a formal complaint to Human Rights Watch (HRW) stating that the accusations it makes about Mexico in its recent reports are untrue and “do not reflect the real status in Mexico.” On January 21, HRW released its annual “World Report,” which examines the status … Read more
Spillover Violence in Arizona and California
01/21/12— Two apparently unrelated killings in the Southwest region of the United States this month have brought the issue of ’spill-over violence’ back into the spotlight. On Friday, January 6, 2012, a man’s decapitated body was located west of the Tuscan Mountains in Arizona. The body was discovered missing its hands, feet, and head, none of which were … Read more
