All News items from Mexico

The body of Diario de Agua Prieta journalist, Saúl Martínez Ortega, was found on 23 April 2007, six days after he was kidnapped by an armed gang. Rosie Palomares, the director of "Diario de Agua Prieta" newspaper, said that when Saul Martínez Ortega's body was found "it was difficult to recognize him, due to the decomposition of his body.”  

An award winning Mexican journalist, and president of the woman’s refuge, Centro Integral de Atencion a las Mujeres (CIAM), was arrested on 16 December 2006 in Cancun, transported over 1000 miles to the city of Puebla and charged with defamation and slander.

Mexican police detained Lydia Cacho Ribeiro (42) for 30 hours in San Miguel state prison before releasing her on $10,000 bail. Ms Ribeiro must appear before a judge in Peubla every week until her trial begins. If she is found guilty she could face up to four years in prison.

According to local newspaper, the defamation charges are based on a complaint filed by the Puebla-based manufacturing baron Jose Camel Nacif Borge.

Earlier this year, in her book “The Demons of Eden”, Ms Cacho alleged that Mr Borge had ties with the accused paedophile Jean Succar Kuri.

Lebanese born Kuri was arrested by US marshals in February 2004 in Arizona and stands accused of rape, corruption of minors and organising sex parties involving minors.

Ms Cacho has indicated that the information in her book is based on existing documents and that she has sufficient proof for her defence.  

Front Line is deeply saddened by the killing of human rights defender Octavio Acuna, a member of la Asociación Queretana de Educación para la Sexualidad. In the wake of this incident, Front Line is deeply concerned about the safety of all the members of la Asociación Queretana de Educación para la Sexualidad.

On 21 June 2005, at a sexual health shop and information centre in Queretaro, Octavio Acuna bled to death after reportedly being stabbed several times. It is reported, that no object of any value was taken from the scene by the attacker. Octavio Acuna has been the victim of acts of intimidation for quite some time. In 2004, he made a statement before the Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos (CEDH) accusing several police officers of discrimination.

Front Line believes that the death of Octavio Acuna may be an attempt to curb the legitimate work of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights defenders in Mexico.  

Front Line is concerned for the safety of human rights defenders from the Organisation of Rural Ecologists of Sierra de Petetlán (OCESP), Guerrero state, Mexico. Felipe Arreaga, one of the founding members of the organisation has been detained since November 2004, while 14 other members of the organisation, including Rodolfo Montiel, Albertano Peñaloza and Celso Figueroa, remain under threat of arrest.

Felipe Arreaga was arrested on 3rd November 2004 by the judicial police in the town of Petetlan, Guerrero state. He has been charged in connection with a murder, which was carried out in 1998 against the son of large ‘cacique’ (landowner) Bernadino Bautisto. Front Line is also equally concerned for the safety of his wife Celsa Valdovinos and other members of the Organization de Mujeres Ecologistas, Women’s Environmentalist Organization.