HomeNewsBriefGovt Commission Confirms Police Killings in Mexico Massacre
BRIEF

Govt Commission Confirms Police Killings in Mexico Massacre

MEXICO / 27 NOV 2015 BY MIMI YAGOUB EN

Mexico's Human Rights Commission has accused the military and federal police of excessive use of force during a massacre this past January, but it's doubtful the investigation will end up as anything more than a symbolic victory.

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CDNH) has issued a recommendation (pdf) based on alleged human rights violations committed mainly by federal police forces during a massacre that left 10 people dead on January 6, 2015 in Apatzingan, Michoacan.

The report confirmed one extrajudicial killing in which the victim was shot despite having surrendered, while five others died as the result of excessive force.

One other person is suspected to have died after being hit by a federal police vehicle, while at least five people were arbitrarily detained and eight more were treated cruelly or inhumanely by military and police forces, according to the CNDH. 

The report states that police denied medical attention to four wounded individuals, leading to the death of one more person. Authorities are also accused of not adequately preserving the crime scene.

The massacre took place during two incidents that occurred on the same day, the first of which involved the deployment of 287 military troops and 44 federal police officers to Apatzingan's town hall after it had been taken over by an armed group. The second incident happened hours later during a clash between federal police and self-defense forces.

SEE ALSO:  Mexico News and Profiles

The CNDH document urges the National Security Commissioner and the Defense Secretary to cooperate with authorities on ongoing investigations related to the case, for victims to be adequately compensated, and for the Attorney General's Office (PGR) to modify the laws regulating the use of police force so that they meet international standards.

InSight Crime Analysis

The CNDH has put together a thorough case, but whether any significant consequences will come as a result of the investigation is another matter. Although the findings of the report are hard-hitting, a CNDH recommendation is merely a non-binding request for authorities to comply with certain demands.

Security analyst Alejandro Hope points out that Mexican authorities could very well heed the call for more security institutions to cooperate with the PGR, given the commission's "political and moral weight." However, that is about the extent of the commission's influence on criminal proceedings, meaning its ability to bring flagrant public security officials to justice is quite limited. 

For instance, in October 2014 the CNDH found that Mexican soldiers had summarily executed at least 15 individuals in a warehouse last June. Seven soldiers were arrested in connection to the highly publicized massacre, but the charges against four of the soldiers have recently been dropped

These limitations fuel criticism that the CNDH is costly and ineffective. According to Excelsior, only one percent of all complaints reported to the CNDH become a recommendation, and many recommendations take at least 18 months before they are completed. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

JALISCO CARTEL / 7 DEC 2022

Violence between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Zacatecas has now seen judged and police chiefs being targeted.

HOMICIDES / 17 NOV 2022

Hidalgo, Mexico faces a rise in violence connected to a parallel increase in oil theft.

BRAZIL / 7 OCT 2022

Latin America's environmental and land protectors are routinely murdered by the regions criminals.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.