Document #1155285
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
The information that follows was provided
by a staff member of the Human Rights Committee of Tabasco during a
30 July 1998 telephone interview.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
controls the state government, a majority in the state congress,
and all 17 municipal governments of Tabasco. The PRD is the main
opposition party in Tabasco, and has a leading role in opposition
activities throughout the state. Besides problems deriving from
civil resistance activities (please consult Response to Information
Request MEX29735.E of 27 July 1998), members of the PRD currently
face harassment through the press media, and the state government
discriminates against communities or groups that are supportive of
the PRD in the allocation of public resources.
As a general commentary on the situation of
the opposition, throughout the State of Tabasco there are cases of
harassment of community leaders who oppose the government. Such has
been the case of street-sweepers' leader Aquiles Magaña, a
former member of the ruling PRI party who was jailed a few years
ago and is now avoiding arrest stemming from his leadership in
pressing demands of the government. Another case of current concern
in Tabasco is that of an indigenous teacher, Indalecio Pascual, who
was accused of the death of a PRD member killed during a
confrontation between PRI and PRD supporters. Although not a PRD
member, it is widely believed that the teacher was deliberately
wrongfully accused of the death because of his role as a community
leader whose demands often conflicted with the authorities; he had
to flee the state to avoid imprisonment, while his case is being
advocated by various groups.
Additional information on conflicts between
authorities and PRD supporters and other persons involved in
protests against the state petroleum company in Tabasco can be
found in Response to Information Request MEX27050.E of 17 June 1997
and news articles available through your Regional Documentation
Centre.
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 sources consulted in researching this Information
Request.
Reference
Comite de Derechos Humanos de Tabasco,
A.C.; Villahermosa, Tabasco. 30 July 1998. Telephone interview with
staff member.
Additional Sources Consulted
La Jornada [Mexico City].
1997-98.
Latin American Regional Reports:
Mexico & NAFTA Report [London].
Mexico NewsPak [Austin, Tex.].
1997-98.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
Global NewsBank, NEXIS, Internet, Refworld, WNC.