Search for Catarino Garza and executed migrants | Article by Ana Lorena Delgadillo

Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez

TOAndres Manuel Lopez Obrador He is described as an excellent communicator, able to set the agenda, look for what is needed to distract us from such important issues as the search for missing people, gross violence in the countrycaptured territories, impunity, failure of the Prosecutor General’s Office (FGR) or growing militarization.

In recent days, another of his distracting topics has been Search for Catarino Garzageneral and journalist, opponent of Porfirio Diaz, who disappeared in the 19th century. Media reported that the search committee will include about 20 people from the Ministry of National Defense, 60 people from the Ministry of the Navy, 11 members of the Search Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and two from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President also received the support of the Senate for this action.

Numerous organizations and family groups opposed this action, pointing out its outrage at having to search for more than 110 thousand people in Mexicowithout the resources and effort they deserve.

Hearing this news, it was impossible not to be indignant at this act, when, based on the work that Justice Fundthey’ve been trying for about 8 years now, so Mexico is seeking permission from Guatemala to exhume remains believed to be those of migrant victims of the 72-person massacre.who are located in the specified country. These remains were delivered by the Mexican government with numerous irregularities and raised great doubts among the families. They are not sure that the buried remains are their relatives. Continuous torture.

According to the agreement Forensic Expert Commission to identify the remains of three massacres that occurred in the north of the Republic, formed in 2013 between the FGR, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Group and 10 organizations and groups of families of missing migrants from Mexico and Central America, if the families have doubts about the remains brought to existence of the said Commission have the right to demand that it revise the identification process.

If it is practically impossible to transfer the identification or verification processes of remains to Mexico, let’s imagine that they are found in another country. We are faced with a horribly bureaucratic, insensitive and ineffective International Legal Aid system. (AJIS), which is a mechanism FGR communicate – on criminal matters – with the authorities of other countries. Eight years of AJIS requests coming and going (most of them poorly drafted) and responses full of inhumanity and arrogance from (mostly) Guatemalan prosecutors. The only thing is that Guatemalan families They asked for an exhumation. and that experts they trust will participate in them, as well as in the process of re-examining the remains: the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Group, together with the Forensic Medical Commission, in which FGR experts also participate. This could not be achieved. Exhumations will take place in the coming days only with the participation of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences of Guatemala. (INECIF) at the request of the Mexican government and with the complicity of the Guatemalan prosecutor’s office and judges who did not ensure the rights of their fellow citizens, that is, families living in Guatemala.

Amparo proceedings have been promoted in both Guatemala and Mexico to ensure that the judicial system recognizes a right that exists in both countries: families can propose independent experts for remains identification processes, which is one of the main mechanisms for ensuring families’ right to the truth. The law and its practice have failed to overcome national barriers when it is migrants who disappear and are trapped between two countries that do not represent them or respect their rights. This is despite numerous recommendations received by the Mexican government from various procedures and mechanisms United Nations and from Inter-American System of Human Rightswhich urged the establishment of mechanisms to allow for transnational search and identification of remains in accordance with scientific standards, and to ensure justice and redress.

How is it that in the case of 72 migrants from Mexico, cooperation with Guatemala was not achieved for 8 years and that in the blink of an eye a team of more than 90 people is sent to Panama to conduct a search for a person who died decades ago? In kilograms of documents, both the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Guatemala and INECIF declared their sovereignty, without acknowledging that experts from another country, and even less independent experts, were sent to Guatemalan soil to exhume the remains brought by the Mexican government, for which, by the way, to the FGR A criminal investigation remains open.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s election campaign promises to create truth commission for San Fernando, Tamaulipas, he turned into smoke. It was not filled with justice, truth, or redress. These victims remain isolated not only in their country of origin, but also in the country where their family members were victimized. The families are also deeply offended by the National Commission for Assistance to Victims, which has not even provided support to alleviate their illnesses caused by torture in the Mexican state. One of the mothers died, the other is on the verge of memory loss. It’s not for less money This second mother lost her husband, two children and a niece in the massacre of 72 people. and he cannot even bring them flowers because of doubts about whether the remains he buried belong to his relatives.

This administration has failed to seek truth, justice and reparations for the massacres in San Fernando, Tamaulipas. Maybe he can bring Catarino Garza?