Note: This allegation was voiced and formed within the “Communication and Defending Territory” workshop event held by Educa, Services for an Alternative Education. Until now, the official allegation has been imparted to the Mexican company ADO, and is being processed at the General Attorney’s Office. The district Attorney released a statement in which he confirmed that the preliminary inquiry against the military official who had sexually assaulted a human rights defender had been carried out, and the focus was now on the determination of his responsibility. Meanwhile the victim reported that she had, this past Tuesday, filed her criminal complaint to the Public Prosecuter’s Office, where she was treated with arrogance and lack of sensitivity.
PUBLIC LETTER TO THE COMPANY ADO
TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE STATE OF OAXACA
TO THE PUBLIC
In the early hours of July 4th, while she was traveling from Matías Romero to the city of Oaxaca on board bus No.2351, line Cristóbal Colón, of the company ADO, the activist and human rights defender, member of organization UCIZONI and the Network for Women Human Rights Defenders, was sexually assaulted by an official of the Mexican military traveling on board of said unit.
The human rights defender, whose name we exclude for security reasons, was traveling in order to participate in the workshop of community human rights defenders “Communication and Defending Territory”; during the journey from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the city of Oaxaca she was sexually assaulted by a drunken military official traveling on the same bus. The human rights defender reported the aggression to the operator of the unit of transport as well as an army checkpoint that apprehended the bus in San Pedro Totolapan. However, she did not obtain any response from either. In fact, they told her that nothing could be done because they were dealing with someone of military rank. This demonstrates the abuse of power and discrimination by members of the armed forces.
These acts, apart from constituting an offense scheduled in article 241 of Oaxaca’s Penal Code, and an open violation of human rights, are very grave acts considering the security of the very users of transport of this company, and worse since it concerns an aggression committed by a military official. The company did not deliver any guarantee of safety for the defender, and did not pay her any attention.
Durante los próximos días la defensora presentará la denuncia ante las autoridades ministeriales y la queja correspondiente a los organismos de derechos humanos. Exijimos a la empresa ADO que dé tramite inmediato a la queja que ha iniciado la defensora, que proporcione a las autoridades correpondientes los datos del militar agresor, que garantice medidas de no repetición y que proporcione una respuesta pública sobre las políticas de seguridad a sus usuarios. Estaremos atentos al seguimiento del caso.
In the next few days the human rights defender will present the accusation to ministerial authorities and the corresponding complaint to the human rights organisms. We demand that the company ADO, with immediate follow-up to the complaint placed by the defender, provide the data on the military aggressor to the corresponding authorities, that it guarantees non-repetition and that it provides a public response to their customers on its security policy. We will be attentive to the follow-up of the case.
SIGNED BY,
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, July 5th 2014.
Escuela de Defensoras y Defensores Comunitarios “La Comunicación en la Defensa de los Territorios”. Participaron 53 personas defensoras de las siguientes organizaciones: Centro de Derechos Humanos Gubidxha CODIGO DH, Organizaciones Indías por los Derechos Humanos OIDHO, Radio Aire Zapoteco, Coordinadora de San José del Progreso, EECO, Coordinadora Nacional de Medios Libres y Comunitarios, Radio Tlayuda, AMEDI Oaxaca, Naswin Biología y Cultura de Oaxaca, Comunidad San Lucas Ixcotepec, Comunidad de Magdalena Teitipac, Frente Regional de Pueblos del Bajo Mixe Choapan, CACITA, Red Oaxaqueña por la Diversidad, Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac, Jaltepec de Candayoc, San Juan Cacahuatepec, Consejo de Pueblos Unidos por la Defensa del Rio Verde COPUDEVER, Comité de Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo CODEP, Grupo Mesófilo, Iniciativas para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Oaxaqueña IDEMO, Unión de Comunidades de la Zona Norte del Istmo UCIZONI, MAIZ, Servicios para una Educación Alternativa EDUCA, Red de Defensoras y Defensores Comunitarios de Oaxaca.
Endorsements:
Programa de Interculturalidad y Asuntos Indígenas de la Ibero – CdMx
Ojo de Agua Comunicación
Comité de Derechos Humanos y Orientación Miguel Hidalgo (CODHOMHAC)
Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL DF)
For more information see (spanish language): Initiation of proceedings against military official who sexually assaulted human rights defender