Environmental Update Main Human Rights Main News What You Can Do Human Rights Ads Defending Environmental Defenders Reports & Factsheets Resources Partners & Friends Environmental news, green living tips, and ways to take action: Subscribe to the Sierra Club Insider!

International Campaigns: Mexico Text of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's Letter to President Vicente Fox July 30, 2001 President Vicente Fox Residencia Oficial de los Pinos Col. San Miguel Chapultepec Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo 11850 Mexico, D.F. Dear President Fox: I am shocked and disappointed to hear that the convictions of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera have been upheld in spite of evidence that they were tortured into confessing to crimes they didn't commit. This is a clear indication that, in Mexico, it simply isn't safe to be an environmentalist. If this ruling is allowed to stand, it will have a chilling effect on other environmental activists in Mexico, and will establish Mexico as a place that represses freedom of speech in the name of servicing international corporations. It also would establish a precedent that confessions obtained under duress of torture are admissible and sufficient for convicting Mexican citizens of crimes they didn't commit. You have publicly presented your Administration as one that will operate with full transparency and respect for human rights. You, as well as members of your Administration, particularly Minister of the Environment Victor Lichtinger, have expressed strong public support for Montiel and Cabrera. However, this ruling eviscerates the hope that many Americans, including myself, have held not only for Montiel and Cabrera, but also for Mexico's overall human rights Administration. With this ruling, your Administration has lost much credibility, not only among the human rights and environmental communities, but also among the international community. Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, who headed their prosecution, made clear that Mexico has made little if any progress in implementing essential reforms. I am deeply concerned about the implications it will have on the ability of environmentalists to protect the earth. I urge you to grant immediate amnesty to Montiel and Cabrera, and to vigorously hold accountable those in your Administration responsible for their ordeal. I look forward to your swift action on this urgent issue. Sincerely, Cynthia McKinney Member of Congress Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use