The information in this Response adds to that provided in MEX37027.E of 8 May 2001 and other Responses.

A detailed account of incidents and legal developments throughout the strike at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1999 and 2000 could not be prepared within the constraints of this Response.

However, in addition to the details on number of persons arrested, charged and freed of charges provided in previous Responses, a report from El Universal after 114 days of strike provides the following details:

Since the strike began, the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) had 16 reports (denuncias) against strikers, of which two resulted in actual charges being pursued (consignados): one against Alejandro Morales Mejía for "probable theft of books" (probable robo de unos libros), with legal proceedings under way at the time of the report and the accused being free on bail; and one for damages against a mural painting (12 Aug. 1999). For the latter case, a federal court issued arrest warrants against Roberto Espinoza Rojas (aka El Roco), 30-year old philosophy student Carlos Anaya, and 35-year old philosophy student Oscar Carrillo, for causing irreparable damage to a famous mural of painter David Alfaro Siqueiros in the university campus on 22 July 1999 (ibid.).

Police were also preparing charges of "seizure of property" (despojo) against members of the General Strike Council (CGH), which was described as the most important denuncia against strikers (ibid.).

The Procuraduría de Justicia of the Federal District (PJDF) was investigating a case related to the strike, for theft and injuries against a female student reported at the UNAM campus of the Latinamerican University (ibid.). A group of striking students led by Alejandro Echevarría (aka El Mosh) arrived at the Latinamerican University campus and encountered María Teresa Calderón López as she distributed propaganda against the strike; a group of strikers reportedly beat her and took her personal jewellery and other property (ibid.). She is described as a student of the Open University System and news coordinator of Grupo Radio Mil (ibid.).

On 11 August 1999 Ricardo Aguilar Sánchez, a striking student from the College of Science and Humanities (CCH) was arrested by the PJDF for causing injuries against a young man at one of the UNAM campuses at Xochimilco (ibid.). He was taken to court, where the judge set a bail for his conditional release (ibid.)..

Registration for the fall semester was hindered by strikers: CGH activists prevented student registration in three faculties and two schools, although 24 other UNAM campuses reportedly proceeded normally with registration, as CGH members there only distributed flyers and talked to students (ibid.). A group of students on scholarships protested the fact that the strike had spoiled a number of scholarship grants; while a group of temporary teachers from UNAM preparatorias schools protested their dismissal for supporting the strike, although the head of these schools reportedly denied that they had bee fired (ibid.).

In February 2001, UNAM expelled from the university six members of the CGH, and suspended another one for a year, on a variety of charges (Reforma 28 Feb. 2001). On the night after the decision was rendered, a crowd of approximately 250 supporters blocked one of the main avenues of the city, while two hooded persons destroyed with hammers the glass doors of the university rector's building (ibid.). The decision to expel six and suspend one of the CGH members was ratified at the end of March 2001 by the highest appeal level of the university (Excelsior 29 Mar. 2001).

Further to the information provided in MEX37027.E, a report published on the anniversary of the 6 February 2000 entrance of Federal Preventive Police (PFP) forces to the UNAM campus of Preparatoria No. 3 which effectively ended the strike, press counts indicate that 632 persons were arrested at the time, although the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) counted 737, and 432 "legal actions were pending" (quedaban pendientes 432 acciones legales) (Excelsior 6 Feb. 2001). The report adds that shortly after, the yard of the university rectorate was crowded with tents set up by family members of detained strikers who were demanding their release (ibid.). By June the last five strikers and leaders of the CGH were released on a conditional basis, pending their sentencing (ibid.).

Also on June 2000, charges against 57 strikers were dropped (sobreseidos), although some legal proceedings against CGH members--causas penales 7, 8 y 19-2000--were still pending (Excelsior 29 June 2000). On 17 July 2000 a report stated that, according to relatives of striking students, pending cases involved 94 students (ibid. 17 July 2000).

The only references found on detention, penalties or proceedings in 2001 against persons who participated in the strike refer to those five CGH members. A February 2001 report states that the five individuals-- Alejandro Echevarría (aka El Mosh), Guadalupe Carrasco Licea (aka La Pita), Mario Benitez Chávez (aka El Gato), Alberto Pacheco Guízar and Jorge Martinez Valero--were required to sign a registry at a court once a week while the charges remain pending (El Sol de Zacatecas 13 Feb. 2001). At the time of the report, the latter two had not signed the registry for two weeks in a row, while the other three were considering refraining from signing; all were protesting the fact that the charges had been pending for many months without the courts making a decision to sentence or absolve them, which meant that they were legally prevented from leaving the capital city or travelling abroad in the meantime (ibid.).

On 27 April 2001 Alejandro Echevarría was reportedly sentenced to either 10 months and 18 days in prison or to pay instead a fine of 363 pesos and a 9,573 pesos bail (garantía) instead of serving time in jail, for the crime of qualified theft (robo calificado) (Correo de Guanajuato 28 Apr. 2001; Radio Fórmula 30 Apr. 2001). He is described as the first member of the CGH to receive a sentence; other CGH leaders continued awaiting a sentence (El Universal 28 Apr. 2001). Although one source reports that Alejandro Echevarría appealed the sentence on 30 April 2001 (CNI en línea 30 Apr. 2001), another source reports that his right to appeal the sentence expired on 7 May 2001 (Terra 7 May 2001).

A report states that on 12 July 2001 and for the second time in that week, parents of members of the CGH with pending charges blocked the entrance to the Rector's Building of UNAM (El Universal Online 12 July 2001). The demonstrators demanded that Guadalupe Carrasco, Alberto Pacheco, Jorge Martinez and Mario Benitez be immediately absolved and fully exonerated (absolución inmediata and exonerados) from pending charges (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

CNI En Línea [Mexico City]. 30 April 2001. "Solicita ´El Mosh´ amparo contra sentencia por robo." http://w1.mx.yahoo.com/noticias/010430/mexico/ (Yahoo México) [Accessed 13 July 2001]

Correo de Guanajuato [Guanajuato]. 28 April 2001. "Condenan al 'Mosh' a prisión por robo a la UNAM." http://www.correo-gto.com.mx/2001/abril/280401/elpais.Html [Accessed 13 July 2001]

El Sol de Zacatecas [Zacatecas]. 13 February 2001. "Se Arrepintió el Mosh y si fue a Firmar al Reclusorio Norte." http://www.elsoldezacatecas.com.mx/m130201/nac.htm [Accessed 12 July 2001]

El Universal [Mexico City]. 28 April 2001. Francisco Gómez. "Sentencian a líder del CGH." (El Lokal/Col.lectiú de Solidaritat amb la Rebel.lió Zapatista) [Accessed 13 July 2001]

_____. 12 August 1999. Siliva Otero et al. "Ordenan aprehender a paristas por alterar el mural de Siqueiros." http://www.unam.mx/universal/net1/1999/ago99/12ago99/primera/01-pr-d.html [Accessed 11 July 2001]

El Universal Online [Mexico City]. 12 July 2001. "Bloquean accessos a Rectoría de la UNAM." http://www.el-universal.com.mx/pls/impreso/version_imprimir?id_nota=9068&tabla=notas [Accessed 12 July 2001]

Excelsior [Mexico City]. 29 March 2001. Sofia Miselem. "Ratifican la Expulsión de los Siete Estudiantes de la FCPyS." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/0103/010329/nac17.html [Accessed 13 July 2001]

_____. 6 February 2001. Sofia Miselem. "La intervención de la PFP en la UNAM era ya una Crónica Anunciada..." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/0102/010206/nac40.html [Accessed 12 July 2001]

_____. 17 July 2000. "No Puede Sobreseer la PGR Cargos a Paristas." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/0007/000717/express.html [Accessed 13 July 2001]

_____. 29 June 2000. Alfredo Jimenez R. "Rechazan "Padres" de Paristas la Convocatoria a un Nuevo Diálogo." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/0006/000629/nac11.html [Accessed 13 July 2001]

Radio Fórmula [Mexico City]. 30 April 2001. Oscar Mario Beteta. "Resumen de noticias de las 6:00 a.m.." http://www.radioformula.com.mx/rf2001.asp?ID2=2908 [Accessed 13 July 2001]

Reforma [Mexico City]. 28 February 2001. "Expulsa la UNAM a seis paristas." http://www.geocities.com/sepsa.geo/Noticias2361.htm (Santaló Estudios y Proyectos S.A. de C.V.) [Accessed 13 July 2001]

Terra [Mexico City]. 7 May 2001. "Eventos del día." http://eventos.terra.com.mx/011101.htm [Accessed 13 July 2001]