San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México
December 12, 2024
Bulletin No. 26
The IACHR condemns the Mexican State for the forced disappearance of Antonio González Méndez EZLN Support Base
• Historic ruling by the IACHR declares the Mexican State responsible for the forced disappearance of Antonio González Méndez.
• Truth, justice and memory for Antonio González Méndez and all victims of state terrorism!
In a historic ruling, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) declared the Mexican State responsible for the forced disappearance of Antonio González Méndez (hereinafter Antonio González), and for the counterinsurgency policy that resulted in serious human rights violations, as well as the deliberate action of not investigating the disappearance that occurred on January 18th, 1999. This serious violation of human rights is framed in the context of the still unresolved Internal Armed Conflict, in which the Mexican State implemented the Chiapas 94 Campaign Plan, a counterinsurgency policy aimed at dismantling the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and the sympathetic civilian population.
The Mexican Government organized, trained, financed, armed and assisted paramilitary groups as part of this systematic plan against militants, adherents or sympathizers of the EZLN, mostly peasant men and women from Maya villages. Within the framework of this strategy, the Mexican Army and its paramilitary groups committed serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity: extrajudicial executions, massacres, forced disappearances, forced displacement, torture, many of a sexual nature against women.
One of the most notorious paramilitary groups of the time that operated in the north of the state of Chiapas was the group “Desarrollo Paz y Justicia” (Development Peace and Justice), whose members participated in the forced disappearance of Antonio González Méndez on January 18th, 1999 in the community of El Calvario, in the municipality of Sabanilla.
Antonio González Méndez, a member of the Support Bases of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (BAEZLN) and head of the cooperative store “Arroyo Frío”, became a target of the Mexican Army and its paramilitary groups due to his activism and leadership in the community.
The ruling marks a crucial moment in the long road of almost 26 years traveled by Antonio’s family in the search for justice, truth and comprehensive reparation. In it, the IACHR orders the Mexican State to undertake an effective search and immediately locate Antonio González. In addition, it requires it to adopt measures of comprehensive reparation for his family. Likewise, it must undertake investigations to identify the perpetrators of the forced disappearance.
This is a historic day, unprecedented in Mexico, the result of the determination and courage of Antonio’s family, in particular his partner and daughters: Zonia, Elma and Magdalena. Faced with this state crime, they undertook a tireless fight for truth and justice, just like many other women who today face the pain of forced disappearance. Their persistence, together with the support of this Human Rights Center, managed to take their demand for justice to the highest international levels.
Although today’s sentence is a significant step forward, it does not constitute the end of the process of justice initiated by Antonio’s family. It is essential that the Mexican State, and in particular its armed forces, fully comply with the sentence of the IACHR, starting by clarifying the fate and whereabouts of Antonio, so that a complete action of justice can really begin and open doors to transitional justice in the context of counterinsurgency in Chiapas.
Behind the case of Antonio González Méndez are thousands of victims of the unresolved internal armed conflict in Chiapas, who are still waiting for justice for the serious violations of their human rights committed by the Mexican State. We cannot forget the victims and survivors of the Acteal Massacre, which occurred on December 22nd, 1997, or the other victims of the paramilitary group Desarrollo, Paz y Justicia in the Northern Zone of Chiapas, who suffered and survived the brutality of the counterinsurgency strategy implemented by the Mexican State.
Although the Mexican State has recognized its responsibility in other events, this has not had the full and public support of the heads of the powers of the Mexican State. This sentence obliges the Mexican State to publicly recognize its responsibility and to undertake exhaustive investigations to clarify these serious violations of human rights that occurred during the internal armed conflict that occurred since the 1990s in Chiapas.
Today’s decision opens a crack in the wall of complicity and impunity built by perpetrators, political actors, military and paramilitary, who, government after government, have maintained pacts to cover up their state crimes. Antonio’s struggle, together with the bravery of Zonia, Elma and Magdalena, is a light and a hope for all the victims and survivors of this barbarity, inspiring the search for truth and memory, emphasizing actions for justice that lead to comprehensive reparation and consequently to complete, full justice for Lekil Chapanel.