Mexico
15.02.01
Urgent Interventions
Mexico: disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, a 17 years old boy, in Morelia, Michoacán
Case MEX 150201.CC
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed about the alleged forced disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, a seventeen year old boy, in Morelia, Michoacán.
According to the information received from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos y Víctimas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en México (AFADEM-FEDEFAM, Mexico), affiliate of FEDEFAM, a member of the OMCT network, Benjamín Romero Ureiro disappeared on 14 January 2001, in Morelia, Michoacán. The boy is a Mixteco indigenous from the community of Cahuatache, borough of Xalpatláhuac, Guerrero. The information reported that on Sunday 14 January, at 9:00 a.m. Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the student house ‘2 de octubre’, located at 333 calle Benedicto López, colonia centro, in Morelia, Michoacán, where he used to live. On that day, he told a friend, that he was going to organise some activities in another student house. Nevertheless, he did not get to any of the nine student houses he used to frequent.
According to his peers, the alleged abduction and disappearence must have occured between his residence and the other student house he was going to. The same source reports that during the preceding days, Benjamín Romero Ureiro, as well as other student leaders had received anonymous phone calls to intimidate and threaten him with death: "ya bájale de huevos, los vamos a madrear" (if you keep on annoying us we will kill you).
According to the information, Benjamín Romero Ureiro is a fifth semester student at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4, linked to the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Morelia. He was allegedly an activist of the student movement, taking part in different demonstrations calling for better attention to the needs of the student houses. He is currently University Advisor at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4 and member of the board of the Student House ‘2 de octubre’.
The family of Benjamín Romero Ureiro is afraid that he has been victim of a forced disappearence due to his activism. They therefore lodged a complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the Ordinary Court (Agencia del Ministerio Público del Fuero Común) of Morelia for the crime of deprivation of personal liberty or abduction. Nevertheless, up until now there is no information on his whereabouts.
The International Secretariat of OMCT joins AFADEM in its grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Benjamín Romero Ureiro.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of Mexico urging them to:
i. immediately locate Benjamín Romero Ureiro and ensure his physical and psychological integrity;
i. order his immediate release in the absence of valid charges, or if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times;
ii. order an exhaustive and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. conform with the Universal Declaration on Human rights as well as other international instruments relative to human rights ratified by Mexico, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses:
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada. Presidente de la República Mexicana. México Distrito Federal Correo Electrónico: vicente@fox2000.org.mx radio@presidencia.gob.mx FAX: (+ 52 5) 522 20 00 Tel: 5542 4111 www.presidencia.gob.mx
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma esq. Violeta México, DF CP 06300. Fax: (+ 52 5) 346 09 04
Dr. José Luis Soberanes, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, México Distrito Federal. Fax: (+ 52 5) 681 71 99.Tel: (+ 52 ) 5 681 8032; 5681 7199
Lic. Victor Manuel Tinoco Rubi, Gobernador del Estado de Michoacán, Tel: +52 (0143)1400 71. FAX: (+ 52 ) 0143 13-76-75.
Lic. Jorge Eduardo García Torres, Procurador General de Justicia, En el Estado de Michoacán. Tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 16-32-60. EXT. 165. (+ 52 ) (0143) 26-23-51.
Lic. Jesús López Trujillo, Delegado de la Procuraduría, General de la República en el Estado de Michoacán. tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 13 0991
The Diplomatic Representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, 15 February 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed about the alleged forced disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, a seventeen year old boy, in Morelia, Michoacán.
According to the information received from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos y Víctimas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en México (AFADEM-FEDEFAM, Mexico), affiliate of FEDEFAM, a member of the OMCT network, Benjamín Romero Ureiro disappeared on 14 January 2001, in Morelia, Michoacán. The boy is a Mixteco indigenous from the community of Cahuatache, borough of Xalpatláhuac, Guerrero. The information reported that on Sunday 14 January, at 9:00 a.m. Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the student house ‘2 de octubre’, located at 333 calle Benedicto López, colonia centro, in Morelia, Michoacán, where he used to live. On that day, he told a friend, that he was going to organise some activities in another student house. Nevertheless, he did not get to any of the nine student houses he used to frequent.
According to his peers, the alleged abduction and disappearence must have occured between his residence and the other student house he was going to. The same source reports that during the preceding days, Benjamín Romero Ureiro, as well as other student leaders had received anonymous phone calls to intimidate and threaten him with death: "ya bájale de huevos, los vamos a madrear" (if you keep on annoying us we will kill you).
According to the information, Benjamín Romero Ureiro is a fifth semester student at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4, linked to the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Morelia. He was allegedly an activist of the student movement, taking part in different demonstrations calling for better attention to the needs of the student houses. He is currently University Advisor at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4 and member of the board of the Student House ‘2 de octubre’.
The family of Benjamín Romero Ureiro is afraid that he has been victim of a forced disappearence due to his activism. They therefore lodged a complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the Ordinary Court (Agencia del Ministerio Público del Fuero Común) of Morelia for the crime of deprivation of personal liberty or abduction. Nevertheless, up until now there is no information on his whereabouts.
The International Secretariat of OMCT joins AFADEM in its grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Benjamín Romero Ureiro.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of Mexico urging them to:
i. immediately locate Benjamín Romero Ureiro and ensure his physical and psychological integrity;
i. order his immediate release in the absence of valid charges, or if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times;
ii. order an exhaustive and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. conform with the Universal Declaration on Human rights as well as other international instruments relative to human rights ratified by Mexico, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses:
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada. Presidente de la República Mexicana. México Distrito Federal Correo Electrónico: vicente@fox2000.org.mx radio@presidencia.gob.mx FAX: (+ 52 5) 522 20 00 Tel: 5542 4111 www.presidencia.gob.mx
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma esq. Violeta México, DF CP 06300. Fax: (+ 52 5) 346 09 04
Dr. José Luis Soberanes, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, México Distrito Federal. Fax: (+ 52 5) 681 71 99.Tel: (+ 52 ) 5 681 8032; 5681 7199
Lic. Victor Manuel Tinoco Rubi, Gobernador del Estado de Michoacán, Tel: +52 (0143)1400 71. FAX: (+ 52 ) 0143 13-76-75.
Lic. Jorge Eduardo García Torres, Procurador General de Justicia, En el Estado de Michoacán. Tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 16-32-60. EXT. 165. (+ 52 ) (0143) 26-23-51.
Lic. Jesús López Trujillo, Delegado de la Procuraduría, General de la República en el Estado de Michoacán. tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 13 0991
The Diplomatic Representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, 15 February 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.