Mexico must not squander chance to eradicate epidemic levels of torture and disappearances

Two new bills addressing the epidemic levels of torture and disappearances in Mexico offer a ray of hope for victims and family members, Amnesty International said today after Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed the two bills to be presented before Congress.

Torture and disappearances are like a plague in Mexico that needs to be eradicated.

Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International

“Torture and disappearances are like a plague in Mexico that needs to be eradicated,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Amnesty International has campaigned for over a year to combat torture in Mexico and has frequently highlighted the situation of disappearances in the country, including the case of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa subjected to enforced disappearance since September 2014.

For too long victims and their relatives have waited for an end to Mexico’s widespread use of torture and the countless number of disappearances.

“We have yet to see if these bills will comply with the highest international human rights standards, or if the debates in Congress fully incorporate the views of experts and those who have experienced these abhorrent crimes firsthand. These laws cannot be fast-tracked or regarded as business as usual,” said Perseo Quiroz, Executive Director at Amnesty International Mexico.