Angel Heladio Aguirre Rivero
Gobernador Interino del Estado de Guerrero
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza Primer Congreso de Anahuac
39000 Chilpancingo
Guerrero, Mexico

Dear Governor:

I am writing to express my concern about the reported human rights violations committed by the Mexican army against members of the Indian community of Nahuatl de Ahuixtla, Guerrero State on 1 September 1997. On that day around 4:00 in the morning, several members of the Mexican army raided this village, allegedly in search of guerrillas. One of the houses they broke into was the home of Francisco Abarca Verales. The soldiers brutally beat him in an attempt to extract information, and also beat his 10-year-old daughter Florencia.

Although the army threatened death to anyone in the village who dared to lodge complaints against them for their actions, the community sought help from the Centro Regional de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos 'Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, A.C.', a local human rights organization based in Chilapa and led by Bernardo Sanchez Cruz, a Catholic priest. This organization filed and published the community's complaint against the military. On 5 September, two armored personnel carriers of the Mexican army, led by an officer in charge of the local 50th Infantry Battalion belonging to the 35th Military Zone, visited the offices of the Centro Regional de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos to request information about the complaint, supposedly to assist with official investigations.

I am concerned not only about the barbaric physical abuse that Francisco Abarca Verales and his young daughter Florencia endured at the hands of the Mexican army on 1 September, but also about the death threats made by the army to community members should anyone lodge an official complaint against them. I am also concerned about the intimidating tactics the military employed against the human rights organization who came to the community's aid and fear that its members may also be at risk of reprisals by the military.

I call on you as the Interim Governor of the State of Guerrero to ensure full protection to all members of the village of Nahuatl de Ahuixtla, as well as all members of Centro Regional de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos 'Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, A.C.', and I would greatly appreciate being informed of all measures taken to guarantee their safety.

I also wish to express my serious apprehension about reports that the Mexican army is investigating complaints of human rights violations perpetrated by its own members. Mexican history repeatedly shows that the military has always granted full impunity to its members accused of human rights violations, and no one has ever been brought to justice. Human rights violations will continue as long as the perpetrators are not held accountable for their deeds. I strongly urge that the complaints against the military brought by the community of Nahuatl de Ahuixtla be thoroughly investigated exclusively by the civilian jurisdiction and courts, as clearly established by the Mexican Constitution and mandated by relevant international human rights standards.

Respectfully yours,