* Five or six units of the Mexican Federal Police operating without a warrant broke into and entered the offices of the human rights center in Juarez-- the Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte--last night, June 5, at about 8 PM. They proceeded to conduct an illegal search of the entire facility. Federal Police tried to break in through the Centro's front door. When that proved difficult, they went to the rear of the building and broke in through two doors in the back.
These agents left broken windows in their wake. They searched through the data--including confidential files on human rights abuses, leaving the offices ransacked.
Father Oscar Enriquez, Catholic priest and director of the Center, cannot fathom the motivation of the Federales. The action, described as "very, very violent" during a press conference this afternoon in Juarez, layers a new level of threat on the human rights organization. The Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte has been very active in the organization for the impending visit to Juarez of Mexican author and poet Javier Sicilia who is leading a caravan calling for peace with justice and dignity in the ongoing Mexican drug war. CLICK HERE to read more and for photos.
* Included in the press release issued in El Paso, TX on Monday, June 6, was this statement:
"This forced and illegal entry, without warrant or provocation, is an unprecedented violation of civil society by the Mexican State, and is a direct act of intimidation specifically directed at defenders of human rights. It is additionally intimidating to the multiple organizations across civil society, who like the Paso del Norte Center, are participating in the Caravan for Justice and Peace with Dignity that will take place in Ciudad Juarez on June 9th and 10th. Illegal actions such as this threaten the security and well being of the general population, and threatening in particular citizens who are actively engaging in democratic processes. "
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