Document #1240174
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
No information on a specific treatment of
women in the Mexican army could be found among the sources
consulted by the Research Directorate.
Information on avenues for redress in the
Mexican army is scarce.
Various news and human rights reports
contain passing references to the existence of military court
martials for internal military discipline matters. However, an
April 1997 report states that the Federal Army of Mexico is subject
to a separate legal regime, the Fuero de Guerra, details
of which are largely unknown outside the military institution (CDH
Fr. Francisco de Vitoria). In cases of abuse of civilians by
military personnel, despite legislation mandating the intervention
of civilian authorities, the army has often announced that it would
conduct its own investigation and the government National
Commission for Human Rights (CNDH, whose role is comparable to that
of an ombudsman) has not criticised the decision while civilian
authorities have remained uninvolved (ibid.).
A call for an independent rights monitor to
address the abuse of soldiers was made by a general, Jose Francisco
Gallardo Rodriguez, in 1993. However, general Gallardo was jailed
soon after and had various charges laid against him by the army,
which the Inter-American Human Rights Commission attributed to his
criticism of the army (International Herald Tribune 13
Mar. 1998). He was later sentenced by a military court martial to
14 years and 8 months in jail, for the alleged theft of horse feed
and military uniforms, and the burning army documents to cover up
the theft (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
International Herald Tribune
[Neuilly-sur-Seine, France]. 13 March 1998. Julia Preston. "Mexican
General Gets 14 Years; A Military Court Finds Dissident Guilty of
Corruption." (NEXIS)
Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fr.
Francisco de Vitoria O.P." A. C., Mexico. April 1997. "Actuacion de
la Comision Nacional de Derechos Humanos Frente al Ejercito
Mexicano." [Internet] http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/mexico/cdhfvitoria/
cndh.html [Accessed 2 Oct. 1998]