Lewis said that his organization has decided to participate in the observation of the electoral process of Mexico at the invitation of Alliance Civica.

Reforma
May 11, 2000
By Juan Carlos Magallanes

Mexico City--After its director was prevented from flying to Mexico City, the international organization Global Exchange denounced that they have not received such treatment from any other country in the world like the one they have received in Mexico. They have been harassed and falsely accused by the authorities in an attempt to hinder their work as electoral observers.

"In no other country has Global Exchange had so many obstacles, been chastised, severely criticized, and repressed like they have been by the Mexican authorities", stated Ernesto Ledesma, Global Exchange coordinator in Chiapas.

"Global Exchange has several programs in many diverse countries, and never in any country has any authority placed so many obstacles as in Mexico. I am talking of Indochina, Northern Ireland, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti, South Africa, East Timor, and others" he commented.

Ted Lewis, Global Exchange director for Mexico, was detained on April 9 at the Guadalajara Airport by officer Reynaldo Montes de Oca, from the National Institute of Immigration, on route to Mexico City (arriving from San Francisco) to meet with the authorities at the Federal Electoral Institute.

In a telephone interview, Lewis commented that he was very surprised when he was detained at the airport by an officer, who showed him a document and informed him that he had express orders to forbid his entrance into Mexico, even though he already had a tourist visa. He was taken to an airplane and returned to San Francisco.

"They came to me with a paper that only said: we have information that Ted Lewis will try to enter Mexico on April 9th. Such an attempt should be rejected".

Lewis stated that three days later, he was sent a copy of a forged rejection order.

"It seems to me personnel within the Federal Immigration Institute are ready to prevent the entry of a leader in matters of electoral process observation," he commented. He added that his organization had decided to participate in the observation of the electoral process in Mexico by an invitation extended by Alianza Civica. "At the request of Alianza Civica we have observed the electoral process since 1994, and we never thought that this could happen. We thought that this election was going to be very routine, but in fact we are very surprised by the treatment we have received from the government. We are seeing that there is no willingness on the part of the government to have observers present."

From San Francisco, members of the Global Exchange stated that they are not convinced that the process will be open. "I am not making any judgements on anyone's motives, but it is apparent that the observation process is frightening to someone", stated Lewis.

Ledesma said that Global Exchange is still waiting for the Immigration Institute to issue 34 permits for observers, including Ted Lewis, to come to Mexico.

What is Global Exchange?

Global Exchange is a non-governmental human rights organization founded in 1988. Since 1994 it has conducted a consistent campaign in Mexico that includes, among other activities, the organization of visits to the conflict zone in Chiapas and the observation of the electoral process. It has promoted the visits of observers in the presidential elections in 1994, the election of the governor of Michoacan in 1995, the municipal elections in Guerrero in 1996, federal elections in 1997, and the municipal elections in Chiapas in 1998.