Mexico News Daily, Jan.10, 2013

Posted by The Generals on January 10, 2013, 4:45 pm
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Subject: Mexico News DAILY January 10, 2013 Mexico Peña Nieto offers gesture to victims of violence Development: On 9 January President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico promulgated the ‘General Law of Victims’, which forces the State to provide assistance and reparations to individual victims of violence. Significance: The initiative was presented to congress by Peña Nieto’s predecessor, Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), in a bid to appease the criticism against his ‘war’ on organised crime. However, Calderón found himself vetoing a version approved by congress last year on the grounds that it required further specifications, including certain constitutional amendments, to make its implementation feasible. After assuming office last month, Peña Nieto pledged to promulgate the law as part of his wider promise to restore peace to Mexico. While the new law has been largely well received, some peace activists warn of weaknesses which could make it a dead letter. Key points: • As he promulgated the law, Peña Nieto recognised that it was "perfectible" but underlined the need to set a legal framework to protect the victims of violence. He also said that the law’s enactment was in line with a pledge made to Javier Sicilia, the leader of the Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad (MPJD) peace movement, which heavily lobbied the Calderón government to draft it. Peña Nieto added that the government would be open to working with civil society groups to ensure the law’s implementation and improvement if necessary. • The new law was welcomed by civil society groups with Javier Hernández Valencia, the local Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stating it was a “necessary and significant step towards providing Mexicans with efficient mechanisms to guarantee their rights…”. Sicilia described it as an important “first step” towards restoring justice and peace. While applauding Peña Nieto for his “profound democratic gesture”, he pointed out that a lot more needs to be done to achieve peace and justice in Mexico. • Some civil society groups pointed to weaknesses within the law which could make it difficult to enforce. The President of the Mexico SOS organization, Alejandro Martí, explained that as it stands, the law creates new institutions to help victims, but does not provide them with the legal or financial tools to carry out their tasks, pointing out that no budget has been set for this effect.

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