Mexico's
Senate has approved a bill to compensate victims of organized crime, one of the
major demands of the peace movement led by poet Javier Sicilia.
The law would oblige the state to help and protect victims of violence and human rights abuses connected to organized crime, reports El Universal.
Under the law, the state will provide compensation of up to 934,000 pesos ($70,000) to victims.
The
legislation would create a National System for Attention to Victims, which will
provide support to those hurt by crime and oversee compensation payments. The
body would include representatives of victims' groups and of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Poet and
activist Javier Sicila was a major force campaigning to get the law passed. He
became deeply involved with the peace movement after his son was killed, along
with six friends, by a drug gang in 2011.
The bill must
now be approved by the House of Representatives before it becomes law. Leading
lawmakers have committed to passing the bill by Monday at the latest.
InSight Crime
Analysis
It is not
clear how the Mexican state will judge who qualifies as a victim, as many
crimes are never brought to trial. It could also prove extremely costly to
provide compensation to all those who have been victimized, with at least
50,000 people estimated to have died in organized crime-related killings since
2006.
There are
high hopes for the law, with Senators Fernando Baeza and Tomas Torres saying
that it "lays the foundations to reconstruct the social fabric which has
been so gravely affected by violence." The drug violence in Mexico has not
ended, though there are signs that killings have peaked – it may be impossible
to begin the healing process while violence continues.
The law
invites comparison to Colombia's Victims Law, passed last year, which sets out
reparations for people hurt by the five-decade-old civil conflict. A key
difference between the two is that Colombia's law is aimed at victims of the
state, paramilitary groups, and guerrillas, all of whom are combatants in the
conflict. In Mexico, on the other hand, there is no civil conflict between
insurgent groups.
$70,000 for a dead "loved one"? Wow, I can't see where this will go wrong. Every death is now going to be drug related, some how, so they can get paid! This is a people who have thrown in the towel, who instead of asking for change now ask for money. And these guys, this poet is going to be in charge of dispensing the money? What a great idea! See how fast it takes these guys to be as greedy and corrupt as the cops! Typical liberal thinking. It would be one thing if it was money confiscated from the cartels, but how far do you think that money goes up the chain of command?
ReplyDeleteOK. Some questions:
ReplyDeleteDo they deduct for comparative negligence when the "victim" was part of organized crime as well?
Do they have adequate provisions to keep people from killing random relatives off for the $70K payoff and making it look like organized crime?
and the big question....
With the Mexican government itself permeating with organized crime stink at all levels and all parts of the republic, how will this affect the budgeting for their death squads and other after school activities?
70K what a joke!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the families of the other 50,000 'disappeared'?
ReplyDeleteThis is all a joke on the government's behalf. They will be creating a new trend of drug related crimes! I understand, and perhaps agree to somehow compensate the soldiers families and maybe.. after a throughly background check some of the innocent civilians. Otherwise they will create an easy source of money for all crooks, government and civilians.
ReplyDelete70 grand wow everyone in mexico has some family member being victim of a narco crime mexico will go broke at that rate . Bad idea no regulation .Not even in the us do they compensate some families for having members involved in any crime.
ReplyDeleteSupposedly the overwhelming majority of people killed are involved in organized crime so now they will receive 70k (huge money in Mex especially for the poor Indios).
ReplyDeleteAlso, guaranteed, that's my fucking tax money (American) going to Mexico.
Knowing the culture down there, this will be one big cluster Fuck
That's a new way to get money, kill your 70k loved one and hand the money over to the cartel. What a joke!
ReplyDeleteCalm down evryone its election time
ReplyDeleteEven if it's legitimate payment, now the narcos will come day after payment and kill/take the money!!
ReplyDeleteOK Tax money to pay for crime victims in a country where people are killed,raped,kidnapped,assaulted,maimed,disfigured etc. on a daily basis. WHY not just implement Law and order?? Why not just have a functioning govt. The odor of Mexico continues to worsen, the search for political easy ways continues, poets,journalist,singers,actors, can be counted on for meaningful solutions to managing the masses?? DUH!
ReplyDelete@7:39
ReplyDeleteI felt the opposite, every death will be "natural causes" "suicide" "accident" or personal confrontation not related to narco".
Even counting drugwar bodies they deem deaths as such even when obviously narco.
Good point "election year" ..another good point
another -narcos extorting the funds..
But really it is simpler than that, few will rec money.
Sounds good-Taste funny
just a few narco fosas and Mexico will be totally BANKRUPT
ReplyDelete@ anon April 29,2012 7:07 PM,just a few narco fosas and Mexico will be totally BANKRUPT!!I have news for you idiot!!Mexico has been getting robbed,raped & pillaged for about 500 years now & it hasnt gone bankrupt yet...as long as the white-folks keep getting high Mexico will have money...
ReplyDeleteWhile it sounds based on good intentions, on another level it sounds like government bribery hush money. It will never happen, it is just a show for the elections.
ReplyDeleteWhite folks getting high? I guess all those poor minority types living in the barrios gehttos don't sling crack and heroin. I had no idea whitey was responsible for all those addictions. My apologies to everyone who is not white.
ReplyDeleteThis guy Sicilia is a joke. I can see it now. The first person compensated in Mexico gets kidnapped tortured and dismembered for 70k. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteThe mexican senate needs to declare a war on political corruption instead of this B.S.
ReplyDelete$70,000 per victim? Mexico will go bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteIf it goes through they have better have a plan in store to ensure that criminals can't get their 'bloody' hands on the money being given to whoever qualifies in receiving the $70,000 !!!