North America & Oceania

Honduras Has Highest Homicide Rate Globally; Much of Central America Follows Suit

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that Honduras had the highest homicide rate in 2010.  In fact, four of the top five countries on the list are in Central America; behind Honduras, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Belize are all in the top five.  According to the study, this puts Central America and the Caribbean at a “near crisis point.”

Honduras and other Central American countries have seen rapid increases in violence and homicides. (Image Courtesy of InfoPlease.com)

Homicide rates have risen all over Latin America.  In addition, Mexico alone saw a 65% increase since 2005.  The study attributes most of the violence to organized crime, specifically drug trafficking, according to CNN.  Further, The Press Association reports that the crackdowns on drug cartels in Mexico have pushed traffickers to these other parts of Central America.

Specifically for Honduras, there were 6,200 killings out of a population of 7.7 million people, according to The Press Association.  The study shows that for every 1,000 people in the country, 82.1 will become victims of homicide, as reported by Fox News (for reference, the report stated that for every 1,000 people in the United States, only 5 will become victims of homicide).

Along with an increase in drug related violence and organized crime, the accessibility of firearms is an issue.  According to The Washington Post, as many as three-quarters of all homicides involve a gun.  Further, Merco Press reported that sudden dips in the economy might also contribute to increased violence and homicides.

The Amandala Online (Belize) reports that the U.N. study shows: “In countries with high murder rates, especially involving firearms, such as in Central America, 1 in 50 males aged 20 will be killed before they reach the age of 31.”

The Press Association reports that Honduras Human Rights Commissioner, Ramon Custodio fears that the crime figures will only get worse before they get better.  Custodio said, “We, Hondurans, have lost the right to live without fear.”

The U.N. report shows that of 468,000 people killed in 2010, 36% of those homicides took place in Africa, 31% in the Americas, and 27% in Asia.  Europe and Oceania combined for less than 6% of all homicides, according to CNN.

While homicide rates have consistently dropped over the last 15 years in North America, Asia, and Europe, Central America and the Caribbean are both facing steady increases with no end in sight.

For more information, please visit:

MercoPress — Latin America Has Highest Rates of Intentional Homicide, Says UNDOC Report — 8 Oct. 2011

Amandala Online — Central American Crime Crisis: Belize Has 6th Highest Homicide Rate Globally — 7 Oct. 2011

CNN — Report: Americas and Caribbean Top Global Murder Rates — 7 Oct. 2011

Fox News — Honduras Led World in Homicides in 2010; 4 Latin American Countries in Top 5 — 7 Oct. 2011

Washington Post — UN Study Says Regional Crime Surge Gives El Salvador, Honduras World’s Highest Homicide Rates — 6 Oct. 2011

Are Children In Mexico Better Off In School or Out?

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – School-age children in Mexico are facing a terrible situation.  Due to the constant violence and threats from gangs and drug traffickers, thousands of schools are closed throughout Mexico; and the schools that are open do not provide a helpful, safe learning environment.

"No classes until further notice" sign outside of a Mexican school. (Image courtesy of AFP)

Mexico is riddled with drug violence, and the situation only seems to be getting worse.  Drug cartels have now resorted to threatening teachers and children, causing thousands of teachers to refuse to report to work.  CNN reports that approximately 140 schools have been closed since the beginning of the school year due to safety issues, and teacher refusal to work.

According to The Associated Foreign Press (“AFP”), teachers in Acapulco have been on strike for a month, trying to persuade authorities to improve security before they return to work.  The threats were left outside of the building, and in some situations, armed men entered and delivered the threats themselves, according to CNN.

Threats are often left by simple messages, but recently, gruesome displays have prevailed.  According to BBC News, Mexican police found five decomposing heads in a sack outside of a primary school along with threatening messages.  In Veracruz, 49 bodies were dumped on the roads within a three-day span, causing parents to be even more fearful of sending their children to class, reported AFP.

Parents are hesitant to let their children go to school for fear of violent clashes both in school and on their way to school.  Elizabeth Garcia, a mother of two told the Associated Foreign Press that she felt better keeping her kids at home.  “I don’t know if it’s better that they don’t go to school, but at least I know where they are,” she told AFP.

Although the threats were anonymous, Mexican authorities believe that they are linked to organized crime.  Gustavo Duncan, the representative for Santiago Mayor’s Office said that the threats were “against society in general” and “there was nothing specific,” reported CNN.

Questions about the legitimacy, safety, and overall learning environment of schools that are currently open have emerged.  According to the Washington Post, on September 23, teachers made sixth-grade students strip down after $13 went missing in a classroom.  Mexico’s Human Rights Commission is investigating the incident, and the school has refused comment.

Mexico’s violence is escalating, and Mexican authorities do not seem to have any of the drug cartels or other gangs under control.  The children are suffering from lack of education, potentially creating a dangerous cycle of violence and disobedience in Mexico.

For more information, please visit:

Associated Foreign Press — Fears of Violence Shake Mexico Schools — 2 Oct. 2011

The Washington Post — Mexican Rights Commission: Parents Say Sixth-Graders Forced to Strip Down After $13 Disappears — 2 Oct. 2011

CNN — More Schools Threatened in Mexico — 30 Sept. 2011

BBC News — 5 Severed Heads Left Outside Mexican School — 28 Sept. 2011

The Wall Street Protests: Grabbing the bull by the horns?

By Ryan T. Elliott
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America/Oceania

New York City, United States – The group “Occupy Wall Street” is credited with organizing the protests that are currently under way in lower Manhattan. The protests began on September 17, when hundreds of protestors gathered at Bowling Green Park in Manhattan, home of the famous charging bull located in New York’s Financial District. Protestors gathered at this symbolic location and prepared for days, or possibly even months, of protest. According to statements on Occupy Wall Street’s website, the movement was generated by the pervasive attitude of “profit over and above all else,” which, they believe, has negatively affected American society and culture. The website also stated that the other “thing [protestors] have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.”

Protesters gather at the charging bull in New Yorks Financial District (Photo Courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America)
Protesters gather at the charging bull in New York's Financial District (Photo Courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America)

The protest, evolved from a network of individuals and groups who were purportedly inspired by the demonstrations in Egypt. On its website, Occupy Wall Street describes itself as a “leaderless resistance movement” drawn from people of all backgrounds and political beliefs. Reports on the protesters in lower Manhattan seem to verify this statement, describing the demonstrators as a group of people who are expressing concerns ranging from: greed, poverty, war, and even the death penalty.

While the number of protestors varies at any one point, as the protesters are constantly drifting in and out of the park, there are approximately a hundred people who are sleeping in the park every night. Meanwhile there are other protestors who live in and around the area and attend the demonstrations for a few hours a day or week. Many commentators on the protest have stated that the protest is reached a metaphorical “crossroads” where it must either define its demands or face the possibility of becoming irrelevant.

While the protestors have yet to tackle this issue, they have, at the very least, developed an internal organization to deal with day-to-day realities. For instance, the group has a created committees that are responsible for: finance, food and comfort. There are also daily meetings where protestors make important announcements. These announcements are made all the more difficult due to a ban on bullhorns. So protestors have harnessed the power of the crowd to simultaneously repeat a single message, which circumvents the need for bullhorns, and allows nearly everyone within earshot to hear the group’s messages.

Although this demonstration was organized through social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, that is, arguably, where the comparisons to the “Arab Spring” end, for two reasons. The first is that the Wall Street demonstrations have only assembled a few hundred protestors, which is a far cry from those numbers seen in Athens or Cairo. Second, there is the practical concern that a group who fails to clearly define its objectives will have any success in achieving them. This skepticism is widely shared,  a blog featured on the Economist’s website had this to say about the demonstration:

“[T]he protest looked less like Tahrir Square than the remnants of an urban Burning Man. The ranks of the demonstrators had dwindled to what looked like 100, yet twice as many people milled around the 3,000-square-foot plaza to observe the spectacle of disillusioned 20-somethings and a smattering of baby-boomers acting out a haphazard blend of activism, exhibitionism, idealism and performance art.”

Most of the media coverage that originally dismissed the demonstration, however, has taken a renewed interest. This may be because the protest has gained attention from celebrities and institutions. But the more likely explanation is the disturbing images captured after the arrests of eighty or so people last weekend. These arrests were largely for disorderly conduct and disrupting traffic, but amateur video footage showed protesters being handled and dealt with in an unusually aggressive manner by the NYPD. In fact, one video account has already led to a positive identification of NYPD Deputy Inspector, Anthony Bologna, who can be seen discharging pepper spray on a number of peaceful protesters and innocent bystanders. Many have said that these policing tactics may very well constitute excessive force.

These jarring images, contrasted by “Wall Streeters” who show every sign of mocking the protesters, has created a powerful backdrop for news outlets to address the varied concerns of the protestors. And these concerns are, indeed, varied. It is reported that the protesters have voiced concerns ranging from the environment to U.S. military presence in foreign countries, and even the recent execution of Troy Davis. But economic concerns seem to loom large. The most visible signs of outrage seem to be over the Wall Street banks and bankers who weren’t held accountable after the financial meltdown. Accordingly, James Downie of the Washington Post, posited the following theory on what may be a unifying factor for young protestors:

“[D]emonstrators are protesting not only for a cause but for themselves… Three years after Wall Street crashed the economy, youth unemployment stands at 18 percent, double the national rate, while youth employment is at its lowest level since the end of World War II. And because the graduate who spends a year unemployed will still make 23 percent less than a similar classmate a decade later, the young unemployed will feel these effects for years. The average college graduate now carries over $27,000 in debt at graduation; not surprisingly, then, more than 85 percent of the Class of 2011 moved back into their parents’ home, the highest number on record.”

Whatever the cause, one thing is clear: the protest is moving beyond the parks and streets of lower Manhattan where it began on September 17, 2011. There are now several other events either under way or planned, which indicates that this protest may remain relevant despite criticism leveled against it. In fact, there are currently demonstrations in cities around the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston, and another demonstration is scheduled for October 6th in Washington D.C.

Yet many commentators can’t resist raising doubts about the groups longevity if it fails to find a unified focus, or alternatively, unless it partners with an institution. While the group is unlikely to define itself or its objectives, it has already received support from many institutions, including: the Air Line Pilots Association, the Transit Workers Union Local 100, MoveOn.org and the Service Employees International Union. Time will reveal what this support will mean for the budding movement, if anything. But, so far the movements strength has been its broad platform, and this will likely fracture under political pressure to clearly define itself and its demands.

For more information, please see:

‘Occupy Wall Street’ Only Growing Stronger — 30 September 2011

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Settle In, Despite Weather And Police Clashes –29 September 2011

The Revolution will not be Liberalised — 28 September 2011

‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protesters get Boost from Filmmaker Michael Moore — 27 September 2011

NYPD Pepper-Spaying Caught on Camera — 26 September 2011

Why ‘Occupy Wall Street’? — 26 September 2011

‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protests Turn Violent; Video Shows Police Macing Women — 25 September 2011

Mexican Villagers Suing Former President Zedillo in U.S. for Crimes Against Humanity

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – Ten anonymous plaintiffs are suing former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo for alleged crimes against humanity.  Zedillo, an international studies professor at Yale University, says these accusations are slanderous.  Zedillo supposedly played a large part in a 1997 massacre of 45 people in a small Mexican village.

Former President Ernesto Zedillo will be tried in the United States for international human rights violations. (Image courtesy of Asia One News)
Former President Ernesto Zedillo will be tried in the United States for international human rights violations. (Image courtesy of Asia One News)

Ernesto Zedillo was the president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000.  According to CNN, Zedillo was the last of a 71-year string of presidents who belonged to the Institutional Revolutionary Party.  The party is still very popular throughout Mexico. 

On December 22, 1997, in Acteal, Chiapas, a group of paramilitaries descended upon the town armed with assault rifles.  The paramilitaries, who were trained and armed by the Mexican military, killed 45 men, women, and children as young as two months old.

Just three years earlier, a group of Zapatista rebels had sparked an uprising demanding more rights.  The paramilitaries (along with Mexican military figures, supposedly) were sent to kill Roman Catholics who sympathized with the Zapatista rebels, according to The Washington Post.  The current lawsuit further questions Zedillo’s attempts to cover up of the massacre by telling the media that the deaths were due to local infighting, reported CNN.

The ten unnamed plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Hartford, Connecticut, where Zedillo now lives.  The lawsuit can proceed in the United States even though the killings happened in Mexico.  Under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act, United States federal courts have jurisdiction over the case, according to CNN.  The plaintiffs are children and family members of the 45 people killed in 1997.  As reported by The Washington Post, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said the total damages sought are in the millions of dollars.

Still, Zedillo maintains his innocence, suggesting the claims are “fabricated” and “obviously false,” reported The Washington Post.  Zedillo cited his record of “pursuit for rule of law, respect to human rights, economic and social development in the poorest regions of Mexico and the achievement of full democracy in [his] country.”

Further, immediately after the killings in 1997, Zedillo issued a statement saying, “Those who participated in the planning and execution of this crime must receive the full rigor of the law . . . since nothing can justify the atrocity which they have committed,” as reported by Hispanically Speaking News.

The biggest issue is the government cover-up of Zedillo’s actual involvement.  Attorney Roger Kobert for the anonymous plaintiffs told The Associated Press: “My clients are seeking justice . . . against a man we’re confident will be shown to have played a significant role in causing them harm.” 

Zedillo told CNN that he would “respond accordingly” to authorities, all the while maintaining his innocence.

For more information, please visit:

Hispanically Speaking News — Former Mexican President Zedillo Being Sued for 1997 Massacre — 22 September 2011

Asia One News — Mexican Ex-President Sued for War Crimes — 21 September 2011

The Washington Post — Ex-President of Mexico Zedillo, Now Yale Professor, Sued in Conn. Over 1997 Villager Killings — 21 September 2011

CNN — Mexican Indian Villagers Accuse Former President in U.S. Court — 20 September 2011

Support Grows in Canada to Prosecute Dick Cheney for War Crimes

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

OTTAWA, Canada – Not only Canada but other countries are looking into the prospect of indicting former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney, for war crimes.  Thousands, maybe even millions of people around the world believe that Cheney’s use of water boarding and other harsh interrogation tactics constitute torture and other war crimes.

Many believe that Dick Cheneys use of water boarding violates the United Nations Convention Against Torture. (Image Courtesy of CNN)
Many believe that Dick Cheney's use of water boarding violates the United Nations Convention Against Torture. (Image Courtesy of CNN)

According to the Vancouver Observer, Human Rights Watch said that Canada should prepare itself to investigate Cheney for violating the United Nations Convention Against Torture.  This convention clearly lays out what constitutes torture, the possibility of criminal sanctions, and other consequences of violation.  All U.N. recognized nations have ratified this Convention Against Torture except Bahrain and Yemen.

The United States has not brought any charges against Cheney at this point.  As soon as he leaves the country, (for example, to promote his new memoir in Vancouver, Canada) he opens himself up to possible prosecution.  Activist group, Stop War, asked in a press release earlier this week for Vancouver natives to speak out against Cheney’s appearance, reported the Vancouver Observer.

“We owe it to the victim’s of war and torture in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond to have a strong showing of opposition to this event featuring this war criminal,” Stop War said. 

Canada in particular has jurisdiction over such prosecution.  According to a statement on the Human Rights Watch website, a country has jurisdiction over an individual for torture if the complainant is a Canadian citizen, even if the acts were committed outside of the country.  Cheney’s interrogation tactics affected at least two Canadian citizens.

Dick Cheney is unapologetic about his war tactics, maintaining his opinion that water boarding does not constitute torture, but rather it is merely “an enhanced interrogation technique” according to The Globe and Mail.  He says the practices were legal and were approved by the Justice Department.  President Obama has since banned the practice.

The Globe and Mail reported that a rowdy group of protestors gathered outside of Cheney’s book appearance in Vancouver; some calling for his arrest while others wanted him barred from Canada.  Shouts from the crowd included, “Detain Dick” and “Don’t harbor war criminals,” reported CTV News.

Kate Dyson, a student at the University of Alberta described Cheney as “a self-confessed war criminal, torturer,” according to CTV News.  Additionally, anti-war activist Thomas Poulsen said that he was disappointed that Cheney was not arrested.

Cheney continues to defend his use of water boarding and claims he would do it again if faced with the same situation.  Cheney can avoid arrest internationally, simply by staying in the United States.  Although he was not arrested in Canada this past week, support for his prosecution is growing rapidly.

For more information, please visit:

CTV News — Protestors in Calgary Want Dick Cheney Arrested — 27 Sept. 2011

The Globe and Mail — Dick Cheney, Unapologetic, Defies Vancouver Protestors — 26 Sept. 2011

The Vancouver Observer — Movement to Arrest Dick Cheney for War Crimes Grows — 24 Sept. 2011

CNN — Cheney and Justice for Torture Victims — 23 Sept. 2011

The United Nations Convention Against Torture