The following information was provided to the DIRB in a 25 October 1995 telephone interview with a volunteer worker with the AVE association in Mexico.

AVE, an association composed of some thirty volunteer members, was founded in 1984-85. Its current president and director is Dr. Carlos García de León. AVE has only one office, in Mexico. Its address is: calle Monterey, n 8, Deptdo n 302, Colonia Roma, CP 06700, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F.

AVE's mission is to disseminate sex education information through workshops, conferences and written and audiovisual materials that focus on prevention, the use of condoms, and AIDS education. Ave also provides guidance and psychological support services, and lends its support to defend persons infected with the HIV virus.

AVE does not provide legal services to defend the rights of persons infected with the HIV virus, but it works in close cooperation with CONASIDA, an organization that does provide this type of service.

The source confirmed the assassination of Dr. Francisco Estrada Valle, the co-founder of AVE, and the receipt of several threats from homophobic (anti-gay) extremists in the past.
The source nevertheless added that such threats had gradually come to a stop, but that the nature of AVE's work leads extremists to associate it with an organization of homosexuals.

In a telephone interview with the DIRB on 26 October 1995, the director and president of AVE since November 1992 confirmed the volunteer worker's remarks, but categorically denied that any threats had been received by members of the organization in the past or that any were being received at this time. According to the director, neither members of AVE nor any members of Dr. Estrada's family, have been subjected to threats and/or harassment by individuals, anti-gay groups or the police. The director furthermore indicated that since AVE is an AIDS prevention group, people with different sexual orientations naturally come to its office and, hence, certain individuals who believe that only homosexuals carry the AIDS virus erroneously associate AVE with a group of gays. The director also pointed out that AVE was not founded in 1984-1985, but in 1988.

The remarks of the director of AVE were corroborated in a telephone interview on 26 October 1995 between the DIRB and the person responsible for human rights issues within REDSIDA (Red Nacional de Sistemas de Apoyo), a coalition of 14 Mexican organizations working to combat and prevent AIDS, established in February 1995. The source, who provided members of Dr. Estrada's family with legal representation in filing a formal complaint with the Mexican authorities alleging violation of human rights following the assassination of Dr. Estrada, confirmed that no members of Dr. Estrada's family or AVE had received any threats.

Attached are several articles on the assassination of Dr. Estrada and on anti-gay violence in Mexico.

This Response was prepared by the DIRB on the basis of publicly accessible information available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response does not purport to be either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Sources consulted in relation to this Information Request are cited.

References

AVE, Mexico. 25 October 1995. Telephone interview with a volunteer worker.

AVE, Mexico. 26 October 1995. Telephone interview with the president and director.

REDSIDA, Mexico. 26 October 1995. Telephone interview with person responsible for human rights issues.

Attachments

International Gay and Lesbian Association (IGLA) Bulletin. October-November-December 1994. No. 4. "Mexico: Mexican Investigation into the Assassination of Five Gay Men Stalled", p. 31.

International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission. 17 February 1993. Urgent Press Release. "Anti-Gay Violence Continues in Mexico: Gay Leader Assassinated." (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission [San Francisco], Asylum Project, Country Packets, 23 May 1995).

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 28 January 1993. Vol. 25, No. 2. John Ross. "Violence on Rise Against Gays in Mexico," p. 7.

Los Angeles Times. 25 July 1992. "Mexican Gays Accuse Police of Laxity in Probing Slaying of AIDS Activist, Others." (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission [San Francisco], Asylum Project, Country Packets, 23 May 1995).

Notimex Mexican News Service. 4 August 1992. "Recent Murders Alarm Mexico's Gay Community." (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission [San Francisco], Asylum Project, Country Packets, 23 May 1995).

San Francisco Sentinel. 25 February 1993. "Anti-Gay Violence in Mexico." (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission [San Francisco], Asylum Project, Country Packets, 23 May 1995).

Oral sources.