The following information is in addition to that already found in MEX33094.E of 5 November 1999.

A 25 August 1999 La Jornada report describes porros as organized gangs who were funded by educational institutions, such as the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). They were not the products of the student movement, according to the report. According to Leticia Arteaga of the Workers' Union of the UNAM (STUNAM), porros, whose mandate is to "discredit all those who struggle to support more democratic conditions," have existed in the university for more than 30 years and their activism always strengthens as student movements mobilize (ibid. 11 July 2000).

In a 30 September 1999 letter to the Excélsior, UNAM professor José Alfonso Rosas Sánchez describes porrismo as an illicit action (acción ilícita) that affects persons, families, homes, academia (papeles) and possessions. He qualifies porros as nothing more than common delinquents who are highly dangerous (delincuentes comunes y corrientes con alta peligrosidad). He added that they pretend to be students, but are pseudostudents or fossils (seudoestudiantes o fósiles), who harass real students and suspend academic activities. Porros are present in the two most important institutions of higher learning in Mexico City: UNAM and the National Politechnical Institute (Instituto Politécnico Nacional, IPN). They are invited by politicians, on both the left and the right, to distribute propaganda, to incite the student population to support a cultural or political movement, or to obstruct certain social events. In the opinion of professor Rosas Sánchez, the behaviour of porros is a kind of terrorism (variedad de terrorismo) and consequently, should be condemned by applying the relevant articles of the Penal Code.

In a 11 July 2000 La Jornada report, the STUNAM called upon the Attorney General's Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) and university authorities to carry out a thorough investigation of porro activities at the UNAM. According to the union, porro groups (grupos porriles) are present in at least seven teaching establishments of the UNAM (ibid.). In a press release, UNAM dissociated itself from these vandal groups (grupos de vándalos) stating that the university authority had no relations with such groups, that it condemned the violence these groups incited against students and teachers, and that it would take the appropriate measures to counter porro activity at the university (ibid.). However, Leticia Arteaga of the STUNAM stated that despite official complaints being made with regards to porros, either the university or the judicial authorities have made attempts to bring them to justice (ibid.).

Several 1999 and 2000 incidents involving porro groups are reported in the Mexican media.

For example, in June 1999, a porro group at the IPN, headed by Erick Pérez Estrada alias "La Changa," kidnapped the director of one of teaching establishments of the Institute, Luis Enrique Guerra, as well as other employees (Excélsior 23 June 1999). All were released following negotiation and 13 porros were subsequently detained (ibid.).

In October 1999, again at the IPN, 24 porros were detained by the Public Security Police (Secretaría de Seguridad Pública, SSP) after they were caught assaulting passers-by passing by (transeútes), shop premises and merchants on the streets of the Historic Centre (Centro Histórico) (La Jornada 2 Oct. 1999). The detained porros were brought before an investigative agency of the Public Ministry, which confiscated the objects they had stolen (ibid.).

In February 2000, in the context of the long-standing strike at UNAM, the General Strike Council (Consejo General de Huelga, CGH) denounced the harassment carried out by various porro groups controlled by the university authorities (ibid. 1 Feb. 2000a). The CGH accused the porros of obstructing the establishment of dialogue between striking and non-striking students (ibid.). The incident of provocation or harassment was reported in another 1 February 2000 La Jornada report when UNAM professor, Othón Pérez Fernández, lead a group of porros to knock down a barricade erected by members of the CGH at the main entrance of the university campus (1 Feb. 2000b). The porros from the Reflection Group of University Students (Grupo de Reflexión de Estudiantes Universitarios, GREU) and from the 3rd of March (Tres de Marzo) threw stones, tubes and pieces of wood at the CGH members (ibid.).

In March 2000, four students were wounded in an attack instigated by porros at a teaching establishment at the IPN (ibid. 29 Mar. 2000). According to some of the witnesses, the aggressors were members of the Politechnical Students' Federation (Federación de Estudiantes Politécnicos) and of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and were pressuring students to attend political events held by the party (ibid.). Apparently, there was no motive for the attack and no one denounced it for fear of reprisals or further intimidation (ibid.).

However, in April 2000, academics at the IPN denounced the increased instances of intimidation by porro groups in light of the elections taking place in July 2000 (ibid. 8 Apr. 2000). The academics added that a campaign of intimidation was devised by PRI-backed porros to threaten students to support the PRI (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.

Excélsior [Mexico City]. 30 September 1999. José Alfonso Rosas Sánchez. "Hora de Aplicar Sanciones Penales a Porros." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/9909/990930/for04.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 23 June 1999. Gustavo Rodriguez and Alfonso Millares. "Porros del Cecyt 7 Securestran al Director y Funcionarios." http://www.excelsior.com.mx/9906/990623/exe04.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

La Jornada [Mexico City]. 11 July 2000. Karina Avilés. "Exige STUNAM investigación exhaustiva de grupos porriles." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/jul00/000711/soc3.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 8 April 2000. Teresa Gómez Hernández. "Denunican intimidación de porros del PRI en el IPN." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/abr00/000408/cap4.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 29 March 2000. Francisco Gómez Maza. "Tensa Calma en la Vocacional 7; temen nueva agresión de porros." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/mar00/000329/soc2.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 1 February 2000a. Karina Avilés. "Denuncia el CGH hostigamiento por parte de porros." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/feb00/000201/soc3.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 1 February 2000b. Roberto Garduño and Karina Avilés. "Líder de colegios de abogados encabezó a porros de Derechos." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/feb00/000201/soc1.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 2 October 1999. Humberto Ortiz Moreno. "Aprehenden a 24 porros por hurto y ataque a policías." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/1999/oct99/991002/cap-porros.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]

_____. 25 August 1999. Adolfo Gilly. "UNAM: los seis punto." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/1999/ago99/990825/gilly.html [Accessed on 1 Aug. 2000]