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Skeptics doubt Mexican data on military abuses
The Mexican military has convicted just one soldier of a serious human rights violation during a bloody, three-year campaign against drug traffickers, according to Interior Ministry figures that are significantly lower than those reported by the U.S. government.
The Mexican military has come under scrutiny because of a surge in complaints against soldiers, including allegations of torture, beatings and illegal raids and arrests. The Mexican army is leading the fight against the powerful drug cartels as part of President Felipe Calderón's U.S.-backed strategy to put 45,000 troops into the streets and employ soldiers as police.
In response to inquiries by the group Human Rights Watch, Mexico's Interior Minister, Fernando Gomez-Mont, said that three soldiers have been found guilty of human rights crimes committed during the three years of the Calderón administration. However, one conviction resulted from an automobile accident and another was overturned on appeal, according to the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for security throughout Mexico.
The sole remaining case involved a soldier convicted of opening fire at a military checkpoint, killing one civilian. That soldier was sentenced to 9 months in prison.