Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 15 May 2017

Video of apparent execution a problem for Mexican government

CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Erubiel Tirado, coordinator charges against four, and
Associated Press of the national security, de- a later ruling cleared the
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The mocracy and human rights remaining three. A military
apparent execution of a program at Iberoamerican court dismissed charges
wounded fuel theft sus- University in Mexico City. against six and convicted
pect by a Mexican soldier Tirado said human rights one of disobeying orders.
caught on video has pro- abuses by soldiers in such In October 2015, United Na-
vided graphic evidence of situations were foresee- tions High Commissioner for
a long-suspected practice able. “In a confrontational Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad
and put the government in situation or an operation Al Hussein said Mexico’s
an awkward spot as it tries against criminals or ene- defense secretary had told
to pass a security law crit- mies, they aren’t going to him that troops were not
ics say could shield troops. look for prisoners,” he said. trained for police work and
Outrage at the surveil- “They are going to kill. This is the military didn’t want the
lance camera video post- what the video shows.” job. Ra’ad Al Hussein said
ed by media this week was The apparent killing in Mexico should return its sol-
swift from human rights This screen shot of a video taken on May 3, 2017 shows army Puebla was just the latest diers to their barracks.
groups, which claimed it soldiers standing next to detained men in Palmarito, Puebla such controversy. Whether the latest accusa-
provided rare evidence state, Mexico. A leaked video showing tions of human rights abus-
of an extrajudicial execu- Associated Press soldiers and federal police es reverberate with the
tion by security forces. But torturing a young woman public is far from certain.
President Enrique Pena Ni- that this type of situation that tap into gasoline and prompted Mexico’s de- A 2012 survey by poll-
eto has limited his public will continue occurring,” diesel pipelines. The prac- fense secretary to issue ing company Parametria
comments to saying there Mexican rights group Se- tice costs the country $780 an unprecedented public found that 62 percent of
should be an investigation. curity without War said in a million to $1 billion each apology in April 2016. respondents said the hu-
And it remains unclear how statement Friday. year, Mexico’s treasury Another, more deadly, in- man rights of drug traffick-
the shocking images will af- The video appears to secretary has said. cident lacked such video ers needn’t be respected.
fect public perception of show a soldier shooting a The armed forces have evidence and no apology Parametria has been mea-
the Mexican military’s role wounded man in the back played a prominent role was forthcoming. Mexico’s suring the public’s percep-
in combating organized of his head as he lay on in combatting organized National Human Rights tion of the army for years
crime as Congress’ lower the ground during a May crime and drug cartels in Commission determined and found that confidence
chamber debates a law 3 encounter between the Mexico for more than 20 that soldiers executed at has ranged between 52
that Pena Nieto has said is army and gunmen defend- years, and many local po- least 12 suspects after they percent and 75 percent
needed to give “certainty” ing their fuel theft business lice forces were deemed surrendered on June 30, since 2002. That has con-
to the armed forces in its in the town of Palmarito in so corrupt that they were 2014, in the town of Tlatlaya sistently ranked it among
policing role. central Puebla state. In to- disbanded. There is wide- in Mexico State. the three most respected
Human rights groups say tal, the day’s combat left spread support among The military had said that institutions in Mexico, trail-
the proposed law would six civilians and four soldiers Mexicans for the military 22 suspects died in a gun- ing the Roman Catholic
make it more difficult to dead. Mexican officials taking over their duties. fight in which only one sol- Church. The most recent
hold the military account- have defended such mili- Mexico’s energy resources dier was wounded, but appraisal put it at 58 per-
able and already some are tary operations as neces- are considered critical in- The Associated Press found cent in January. And six out
linking the incident seen in sary in the face of growing frastructure, so using feder- evidence at the scene that of 10 Mexicans surveyed
the video to the legislation. fuel theft by gangs, often al forces to protect them is contradicted that version. said they prefer having the
“If the interior security law is linked to organized crime, considered fair game, said Seven soldiers were initially army in the streets to hav-
approved, it is predictable charged. A judge dismissed ing the police.q