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When President Vicente Fox took office in Mexico in 2000, he promised a refreshing commitment to human rights. In a Presidential Accord, he called for the creation of a Special Prosecutor's Office (SPO) to investigate crimes committed by federal agents against social and political groups. The SPO was established in early 2002 with two broad aims: holding perpetrators criminally accountable and determining the truth about past human rights abuses. The government considered, but decided against, a truth commission.
In April 2003, in consultation with the Special Prosecutor, his staff, and political and civil society leaders, the Center undertook a technical assessment of the SPO to strengthen its ability to achieve its goals. In July 2003, Paul Seils traveled to Mexico and, assisted by staff from Universidad Iberoamericana, carried out a series of interviews with SPO staff, government officials, and civil society representatives. The Center's resulting report, "A Promise Unfulfilled?," was published in June 2004, with updated English and Spanish versions to appear later in the year. The report emphasizes that while the Presidential Accord and the infrastructure created for the SPO offered some grounds for optimism, it was not clear that the Office had fully addressed the technical challenges of investigating systematic criminal activity. The report made recommendations designed to result in a more effective prosecutorial strategy and structure.
Link to Report
A Promise Unfulfilled? The Special Prosecutor's Office in Mexico (June 2004)
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