La Jornada
February 7, 2001
By Juan Manuel Venegas and Victor Ballinas
Translated by Magdalena Preciado and Claudia Boyd-Barrett

The President of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada, has ordered the Secretary of the Interior, Santiago Creel Miranda, to intervene in favor of the rural workers Rodolfo Montiel Flores and Teodoro Cabrera Garcia, imprisoned since May 2, 1999. The two men were arrested due to a conflict over environmental protection of the Petatlan and Coyuca mountain ranges in the state of Guerrero.

Defining his position on the situation of Montiel and Cabrera, Vicente Fox stated that necessary measures would be taken in order to prevent any kind of injustice; moreover, he emphasized that his government is committed to safeguarding respect for the human rights of all Mexicans.

Some time ago, on July 14, 2000, the National Commision for Human Rights released its August 2000 recommendation indicating that the detained farm workers had been tortured by members of the Mexican Army's 35th Battalion. The recommendation explained that both Montiel Flores and Cabrera Garcia had been illegally held in detention for 48 hours and that the evidence presented against them had been purposefully set up to incriminate the two men.

During a recent press conference at the Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center (PRODH,) the coordinator of advisers for the head of Semarnat (Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources,) Rodolfo Lacy declared that the Semarnat had "revised the case files and detected several irregularities in the conviction processes. There are injustices that need to be examined. We also expressed our concern to president Fox that two people had been detained for defending the environment. This shouldn't happen."

Lacy stated that "we've been examining the proceedings since the beginning of Fox's transition and the President is aware of that. We even asked him to clarify how we are supposed to summon society to join in the national crusade in defense of our forests and water if those who participate get arrested."

In this case, Lazy expanded, "there are many people responsible. We have detected deforestation and over-exploitation, and there has been no adequate surveillance from the corresponding authorities. Because of this we have proceeded with cancellation of permits involving lumber exploitation, and we will investigate all parties involved, including authorities from the last administration."

There is concern, he insisted, because "the deforestation (and the damage) to both flora and fauna, along with the ever increasing pollution and lack of water have exceeded being merely an issue for us as authorities and have become a problem of national security. Because of this we will launch a national crusade."

In a conference organized by the PRODH in association with the Sierra Club, the human rights advocate Ethel Kennedy presented Montiel's wife, Ubalda Cortes Salgado, with the Chico Mendez award, given by the Sierra Club to Mr. Montiel for 'his courage and dedication." This award recognizes his leadership and constant struggle in defense of the environment.

The Director of the PRODH informed the press that a committee made up of Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Montiel, Alejandro Queral and Stephen Mill from the Sierra Club had recently met with president Fox, who promised to revise the case and suggested that they seek legal protection.

Cortez added that in the interview the President was joined by the Secretary of Environment, Victor Lichtinger, along with the President's Legal Director, Jose Luis Reyes and the special ambassador for Human Rights, Mariclaire Acosta. Fox himself requested that Reyes personally revise the litigation.

In accordance with the information given by Cortez, Lichtinger stated that "the authorities can no longer retract this lawsuit because it has now passed into another stage; but he insisted that the two detainees should be set free as there is no crime to penalize. Instead, the irregularities committed during the proceedings should be examined."

During the press conference, participants expressed that "it was a positive sign that president Fox agreed to meet with the committee, because the former president, Mr. Zedillo, had refused to meet or have contact with them. This interview shows willingness to resolve the conflict."

The writer Elena Poniatowska, who attended the press conference as a special guest, remarked "it seems amazing that in a country like Mexico, men who defend ecology and trees are incarcerated." She urged everyone to demonstrate against these injustices, such as those committed in the Montiel and Cabrera case so that "this will not happen again."

Ethel Kennedy appealed to president Fox for the release of the farm workers Montiel and Cabrera. She demanded, in agreement with the PRODH, "that there is concern that the Mexican justice system allows cases such as this to occur."

Sierra Club and the PRODH announced that in the following days they would submit a request for legal protection in favor of the two detained men. They also announced that both organizations would visit the prisoners in Iguala, Guerrero, and will hold another press conference.

During an interview, Montiel's wife said, "I think that the President can resolve the situation. If he doesn't want to, then nothing will get resolved. He holds the reins of power in the government, and he can make orders. I hope that he carries through with what he promised me and that he isn't making false promises. We want to see my husband released so we can believe that the President is really fighting."