California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

House ResolutionNo. 5


Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia

January 8, 2015


House Resolution No. 5—Relative to Mexico and human rights.

P1    1WHEREAS, On September 26, 2014, 43 college students from
2the Ayotzinapa Normal School in Guerrero, Mexico, disappeared
3in Iguala, Mexico; and

4WHEREAS, Mexico’s Attorney General, Jésus Murillo Karam,
5announced in a televised press conference on November 7, 2014,
6that the evidence indicates the 43 missing students had been
7executed and incinerated in the municipal dump of Cocula, Mexico,
8by the Guerreros Unidos cartel; and

9WHEREAS, It has been estimated that 25,000 to 26,000 people
10have disappeared in Mexico since 2006; and

11WHEREAS, The disappeared often include the very vulnerable,
12such as poor migrants, indigenous people, and women and children;
13and

14WHEREAS, According to a report by Human Rights Watch,
15the state and federal army units in Iguala failed to intervene to
16protect the students; and

17WHEREAS, The director of the American division of Human
18Rights Watch, José Manuel Vivanco, described the murders in
19Iguala, Mexico, and an earlier massacre in Tlatlaya, Mexico, as
20“the worst atrocities we’ve seen in Mexico in years, but they are
21hardly isolated incidents”; and

22WHEREAS, There has been an international outcry regarding
23the deaths of the missing students in Mexico from, among others,
24the United Nations, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the
P2    1European Parliament, and the international human rights
2community; and

3WHEREAS, On July 20, 2014, A Memorandum of
4Understanding for Strengthening Trade and Investment
5Cooperation Between the Ministry of Economy of the United
6Mexican States and the Government of the State of California of
7the United States of America was signed by Governor Jerry Brown
8of the State of California and Minister Ildefonso Guajardo
9Villarreal of the United States of Mexico; and

10WHEREAS, The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding
11“is to establish a formal and flexible framework between the
12Participants to expand trade and investment cooperation, foster
13scientific and technological collaboration for business development
14in emerging key sectors, strengthen communication, enhance trust,
15boost economic development and create jobs”; now, therefore, be
16it

17Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
18Assembly adds its voice to those in the international community
19condemning the disappearance and deaths of the missing college
20students from Mexico as a violation of human rights, and offers
21its support to all those in Mexico standing up for human rights and
22justice against corruption and violence; and be it further

23Resolved, That the Assembly urges Governor Jerry Brown to
24suspend the Memorandum of Understanding between California
25and the United Mexican States and urges the State of California
26to divest from doing business with the United Mexican States until
27the human rights of the people of Mexico have been reevaluated;
28and be it further

29Resolved, That the Assembly urges the government of Mexico
30to support further dialogue between the international community,
31including the United States, and human rights organizations on
32human rights reforms; and be it further

33Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
34of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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