The U.S. State Department’s 2010 report on the human rights situation in Mexico notes the flaws of that country’s security forces in tackling drug trafficking organizations within its territory, and highlights the issues and deficiencies of the judicial system.
The introduction reads:
Mexico, with a population of approximately 112 million, is a federal republic composed of 31 states and a federal district, with an elected president and bicameral legislature. President Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party was elected in 2006 to a six-year term in generally free and fair multiparty elections. The country continued its fight against organized crime, which involved frequent clashes between security forces and drug traffickers. Security forces reported to civilian authorities; however, there were instances in which elements of these forces acted outside the government’s policies.
The following problems were reported during the year by the country’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and other sources: unlawful killings by security forces; kidnappings; physical abuse; poor and overcrowded prison conditions; arbitrary arrests and detention; corruption, inefficiency, and lack of transparency that engendered impunity within the judicial system; confessions coerced through torture; violence and threats against journalists leading to selfcensorship. Societal problems were domestic violence, including killings of women; trafficking in persons; social and economic discrimination against some members of the indigenous population; and child labor.
To read full report click here (pdf)