The XVI Congress of the Fourth International has heard reports of the grave human rights situation in Mexico, not only with the continuation of femicide in Ciudad Juarez and other cities and regions, but also now with the abuses, executions and forced disappearances that result from the militarization which is extending step by step from the north of Mexico to the rest of the country, all accompanied by the criminalization of social protest and of poverty.

Femicide, which remains unchecked and unpunished through either the neglect of the complicity of the authorities, is encouraged by the reactionary campaign of the right-wing parties in government that stirs up mysogeny and homophobia, and reduces women’s rights. This is the meaning of the campaign, supported by the Catholic church hierarchy, to penalize abortion in most states of the Mexican Republic, as a reaction to the fact that a few years ago decriminalization of abortion was won in the Mexico City Legislative Assembly. It is also the meaning of campaign, just as belligerently promoted by the Catholic church, thereby undermining the secular character of the Mexican state, against the rights of gays and lesbians.

This World Congress urges support for the struggle of the feminist and broad women’s movement in Mexico in defence of their rights. It is part of the struggle of women in other parts of the world against the attacks of the right. This 8^th March and beyond, recovering the internationalist character of this date, we should extend support against femicide, misogyny, homophobia and in defence of women’s rights.

Although it was possible to reduce femicide in Ciudad Juarez in previous years, now the situation is more difficult with militarization spreading violence and the violation of the human rights of the civil population in general. The government of Felipe Calderón, which was the result of fraud and which seeks to recover legitimacy through military means, claims to be carrying out a war on the drugs trade and organized crime. Nonetheless, in Ciudad Juarez there have not been armed confrontations between the military and the drug traffickers. Most of the time there are executions and murders, in the streets, in schools, in private homes and even in people being shot dead in rehabilitation centres. There has been a move from femicide to the murder and execution of youth in general, the poor, students, university teachers and human rights activists. This is less a war on drugs than a campaign of “social cleansing” similar to those we have seen in other countries. The Calderón government presents the rising number of murders as successes in its war, as if they were “losses” for organized crime. This massacre should be stopped with protests and international denunciations.

As part of the criminalization of social protest, the victims of this war now include human rights activists, as was shown with the recent murder of Josefina Reyes and the threats against comrade Cipriana Jurado, a feminist representative of the previous generation of struggle against femicide, who is now threatened because of her opposition to militarization. Amnesty International has demanded protection for Cipriana and this World Congress demands respect for her militant activity in favour of human rights. In recent days important mobilizations have occurred in the streets of Ciudad Juarez demanding the withdrawal of the army, respect for the population’s human rights and indeed for removla of Felipe Calderón as president. This World Congress calls for widespread solidarity with these movements.

27^th February 2010