ACTION ON SANTIAGO MURDER
7-25-07 Epifania Cruz, mother of Santiago Rafael,
stands in front of the FLOC office in Monterrey Mexico
at the dedication of the office to his memory
in the hope that his death will lead to justice and peace.
Today Santiago Rafael Cruz would have turned 30 years old. FLOC and its supporters, friends and allies are committed to make sure his death is not in vain. Santiago Rafael, Presente!
One way FLOC is remembering Santiago is our newly remodeled office in Monterrey Mexico, which has been renamed the Santiago Rafael Cruz Justice Center in his honor. Santiago Rafael's mother Epifania Cruz and his brother Gustavo Rafael came to the reopening of the FLOC office on June 30, along with U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. (For more information, see the FLOC website at http:www.floc.com.)
Mrs. Cruz cried in remembering her son. "We all have to die," she said, "but not like this." She remembered Santiago as a faithful son dedicated to the FLOC cause. She expressed appreciation for how FLOC has fought for justice for her son.
The Nuevo Leon government have proven incompetent and evasive in pursuing the case of Santiago's vicious assassination on April 9 in the FLOC office. Despite some 100,000 letters and messages from all over the world sent to the Governor of Nuevo Leon, state authorities have shown no interest in pursuing possible political and economic motives resulting from FLOC's efforts to clean up the corruption in recruiting farm workers going to the U.S.
Following the order by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to provide protection for FLOC staff, FLOC has been involved in a series of meetings with Mexican federal and Nuevo Leon state authorities concerning protective measures. In the first meeting with the Nuevo Leon government, Nuevo Leon authorities said they were short staffed because half of their detectives had been arrested for ties to drug trafficking. In the second meeting, the day a progress report was due to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Nuevo Leon authorities announced that a press conference was being held at the same time indicating that a suspect, Jaime Martinez, had "confessed" to the murder. However, the government was unable to provide any convincing evidence. Shortly thereafter, the suspect's mother filed a Human Rights complaint that the "confession" was a result of torture.
In the third meeting, the Nuevo Leon government appeared almost absurd in avoiding even simple questions, evading direct questions by the FLOC attorney over 60 times. The next day, Rogelio Cerda, Secretary General of the State of Nuevo Leon, stated categorically to U.S. Congresswoman Kaptur that there was "no political motive in Santiago's murder", even though the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had found sufficient evidence to warrant a protective order. A few days later, Cerda himself resigned under accusations of ties to drug cartels.(1)
The whole world is watching Nuevo Leon demanding justice for Santiago. How can FLOC staff feel safe with so many unanswered questions, the absence of a serious investigation, and blatant attempts to sweep the vicious murder of Santiago under the rug? How can all of our allies and friends around the world who believe in human rights and justice be convinced if we ourselves are not convinced? Who is the Nuevo Leon government really trying to protect?
ACTION
FLOC asks our supporters to write Mexican President Felipe Calderon
Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de “Los Pinos”, Casa Miguel Alemán
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec
México D.F. 11850
México
Telephone from the U.S.: (011-52) (55) 27-89-11-00
Fax from the U.S.: (011-52) (55) 52-77-23-76, 52-77-23-76
Email: felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx
With copies to:
José Natividad González Parás
Gobernador de Nuevo León
Zaragoza y 5 de Mayo, Colonia Centro
Monterrey N.L. 64000
México
Telephone from the U.S.: (011-52) (81) 2020-1226 or 2020-1509
Fax from the U.S.: (011-52) (81) 2020-1087 or 2020-1085
Email: gobernador@nl.gob.mx
Santiago Canton
Executive Secretary
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
1889 F St., NW
Washington, D.C., USA 20006.
Telephone: (202) 458-6002
Fax: (202) 458-3992
E-mail: cidhoea@oas.org
Ambassador Antonio Garza, Jr.
U.S. Embassy
Paseo de la Reforma 305
Colonia Cuahtemoc
Mexico, D.F. 06500
Telephone from the U.S.: (011-52) (55) 5080-2000
Fax from the U.S.: (011-52) (55) 5525-5040
Email: ccs@usembassy.net.mx
Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO
Attn: Michael Hale
1221 Broadway Street
Toledo, OH 43609
Telephone: 419-243-3456
Fax: (419) 243-5655x4
Email: info@floc.com
In your message (see sample letter below):
Explain
1. Four month after the assassination of Santiago Rafael, the government
of Nuevo Leon has not been able to show clearly and precisely what
happened and has clearly demonstrated that it is not serious in the
investigating who is behind his vicious murder.
2. Without a resolution of the murder, the FLOC staff and members
cannot feel safe, as is the intent of the protective order of the Inter-
American Commission on Human Rights.
Then ask that
1. The Government of Mexico take over the investigation of the vicious
murder of Santiago Rafael Cruz, which it is entitled to do in a human
rights case. Ask that the investigation focus on political motives for
the murder, particularly the corruption in the recruitment of Mexican
migrant workers, in violation of Mexican national labor laws.
2. The Mexican National Commission on Human Rights investigate the
case of torture of Jaime Martinez Amador in his "confession" to the
murder of Santiago Rafael Cruz. This is necessary so that the
investigation of Santiago's assassination will not be confused by
misleading and corrupt accusations.
3. The Government of Mexico reinforce efforts to protect the personnel
and members of FLOC in Mexico, as is the intention of the protective
order of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Thank you for your support in the fight for justice for Santiago Rafael Cruz.
NOTES:
(1) See http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/07/05/index.php?section=politica&article=010n1pol&partner=rss.
Sample letter to President Calderon
[date]
Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de “Los Pinos”, Casa Miguel Alemán
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec
México D.F. 11850
México
Subject: Assassination of Santiago Rafael Cruz
Staff Member, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO
Dear President Calderon:
I am writing to protest the incompetent and devious investigation by the Government of Nuevo Leon of the vicious assassination of Santiago Rafael Cruz. Santiago was a union organizer for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee AFL-CIO who defended the human and labor rights of Mexican farmworkers going to the United States. He was brutally tortured and murdered in the FLOC offices in Monterrey on April 9. Following the assassination, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found sufficient evidence that the murder was politically motivated, and issued a protective order for FLOC staff and members in Mexico.
The government of Nuevo Leon has clearly demonstrated that it is not serious in the investigation of the assassination of Santiago Rafael. The Nuevo Leon government has not even considered investigating political motives in the murder. Instead, it has made unsubstantiated public statements with no evidence to support allegations, and has continually evaded the questions of FLOC lawyers. Eventually, the authorities announced that they had detained a minor criminal, Jaime Martinez Amador, accusing him of the murder. Even more relevant is that the "confession" was apparently obtained under torture, which is particularly shocking in a human rights case. A few days before his resignation under charges of ties to drug cartels, the Secretary General of the Nuevo Leon government stated to U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur that "there is no political motive" in the case, even though the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued its protective order on the basis of such evidence.
Given the unwillingness of the Nuevo Leon government to pursue a legitimate investigation, the staff and members of FLOC in Mexico cannot feel safe. Any resolution of the murder of Santiago Rafael Cruz's murder has to provide a satisfactory resolution for FLOC, as is the intention of the protective order of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Therefore, I respectfully request that the Mexican federal government take the following steps:
1. The Government of Mexico take over the investigation of the vicious murder of Santiago
Rafael Cruz, which it is entitled to do in a human rights case. We ask that the
investigation focus on political motives for the murder, particularly the corruption in the
recruitment of Mexican migrant workers, which is in violation of Mexican national labor laws.
2. That the Mexican National Commission on Human Rights investigate the case of torture
of Jaime Martinez Amador in his "confession" to the murder of Santiago Rafael Cruz.
This is necessary so that the investigation of Santiago's assassination will not be
confused by misleading and corrupt accusations.
3. The Government of Mexico reinforce efforts to protect the personnel and members of
FLOC in Mexico, as is the intention of the protective order of the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights.
Sincerely,
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