Notimex
November 8, 2001

Vicente Fox, exercising the legal powers as Mexico's Chief-of-State, today called for the immediate release of prisoners Rodolfo Montiel Flores and Teodoro Cabrera García, both detained since May 2, 1999 for their environmental struggles in Ahuizotla, Guerrero. Fox, who delivered a message to the Mexican people in the Venustiano Carranza Room of his official residence in Los Pinos, declared that both of these men are now free. "Since December 1 of last year, my administration has been quite interested in this matter. We have received various petitions from national and international human rights organizations," he added.

In light of these petitions, the Mexican government commissioned a team of jurists to lend permanent legal support in defense of the two men. In granting their liberation from prison, Fox has taken into account petitions from a wide variety of organizations, such as the Ecologists Organization of Sierra de Petatlán, Coyuca de Catalán, the Human Rights Center Miguel Agustín Pro-Juarez. He has also considered the opinion related to him by a United Nations working group specializing in arbitrary detentions.

Fox also said that he took into account the physical and health conditions of the two men, and considered these at length in conjunction with Article 75 of the Federal Penal Code. "With all of this, I gave instructions to make their release possible," Fox stated. Fox emphasized that the decision taken by the federal government coincides with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Civil and Political Rights Pact, and the Anti-Torture Conventions, all of which have been signed and ratified by the Mexican government.

"By taking these actions, we hope to show that my government is dedicated to the promotion and observation of human rights in the nation," he closed.

Translated from Spanish by Brian Straight on November 8, 2001.