Mexican Army soldiers patrol near a crime scene following a shoot-out in Tijuana, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. (AP Photo / Guillermo Arias)
Earlier this month, Open Society Foundations published a ground-breaking report, “Undeniable Atrocities”, which accuses the Mexican government of committing crimes against humanity during Mexico’s Drug War. The work presents evidence compiled over three years by the Open Society Justice Initiative and five Mexican human rights organizations. The report concludes that there is reasonable basis to believe that Mexican governmental forces have committed crimes against humanity including massacres, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances. Published on the tenth anniversary of the launch of Operation Michoacán, the militarized offensive that officially started the War on Drugs in Mexico, the report is a timely reminder of the devastating effects of the current drug prohibition regime in the country.
Despite indisputable evidence presented in the report, Mexican President Peña Nieto's administration rejected the report’s findings within a day of its publication, contending that Mexico is committed to human rights. But for the thousands of victims of human rights abuses perpetrated by the country’s armed forces, President Peña Nieto’s claims are insulting. By denying the report’s findings, Mexico is missing an opportunity to bring justice to the victims of its failed drug policy. Rather than dismissing the report, Mexico should utilize the evidence to consider the limitations of its current approach and to commit to drug policy alternatives.
