Military Has Failed to Release Data on Killings of Mexican Civilians Francisco Sandoval - InSight Crime
go to original December 30, 2016

For the past four years, the army has refused to reveal the number of civilians killed by members of the military. The justification offered is that "the army's jurisdiction is not entitled to possess information" on such matters.

For instance, upon reviewing the available information on the number of civilians killed by the army one realizes that the deaths of 22 individuals who were killed on June 30, 2014 in Tlatlaya, in the State of Mexico, have not been reported. All members of the armed forces who have been imprisoned for their connection with the event are now free, even though according to the National Commission for Human Rights 15 of these executions were carried out in extra-judicial circumstances.

The death of a community policeman that took place on January 13, 2014 in the village of Antúnez, Michoacán, has not been reported either. An army man "accidentally" shot a member of a local self-defense group who happened to be unarmed. These are just two examples among several other similar cases.

Upon being questioned on the subject, the army provided data on the casualties that took place during the six years of Felipe Calderón's administration - but refuses to provide information for the following six years.

On October 10, through a public information request, Animal Politico asked the armed forces to reveal the amount of money they had paid to the families of the victims who died during the past 10 years of war against drug-traffickers, as well as the total number of casualties.

The army provided information on the money paid for the deaths of 12 civilians who were killed between 2008 and 2011. Information related to the current administration, however, was not revealed.

Nonetheless, official information on the subject does exist. Thanks to the requests for transparency it has received, the army has revealed the amount of money paid to the families of civilians killed during the current administration. However, it has not made public the total number of casualties.

For instance, the armed forces have revealed they have processed 32 payments to repair damages caused, for a total of 7.8 million pesos (roughly $380,000). Ten of such payments were linked with operations they reportedly carried out in Tamaulipas, six in Michoacán, five in Guerrero and the rest in the states of Zacatecas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Michoacán and Sinaloa.

Read the rest at Insight Crime | Español

Related: Human Rights Commission Says Army Used Undue Force in 2015 Protest (Associated Press)

Related: Mexican Military Kill Rates Leave People Fearful (The Inquisitr)

Photo: Associated Press/Charles Dharapak

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