Creating Sustainable Cities Through Cycling Infrastructure? Learning from Insurgent Mobilities

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Creating Sustainable Cities Through Cycling Infrastructure? Learning from Insurgent Mobilities sustainability Article Creating Sustainable Cities through Cycling Infrastructure? Learning from Insurgent Mobilities Aryana Soliz Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada; [email protected] Abstract: As policy makers grapple with rapid motorization processes, cycling facilities are gaining new urgency, offering non-polluting and affordable alternatives to automobility. At the same time, urban sustainability paradigms tend to focus on purely technical solutions to transportation chal- lenges, leaving questions of history and social power aside. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork in Aguascalientes Mexico, this article contributes to the transportation and mobility justice literature by focusing on the work of social movements in confronting a variety of challenges in the provision of active-transportation services. First, this research explores how social movements express and nego- tiate transportation-justice concerns to government and planning authorities. Next, I build on the concept of insurgent citizenship to highlight the processes through which residents contest ongoing injustices and formulate alternatives for building inclusive cities. From the creation of makeshift cycling lanes in underserved urban areas to the search for socially just alternative to policing, social movements are forging new pathways to re-envision sustainable transportation systems. These insurgent forms of citymaking—understood here as insurgent mobilities—underscore the creative role of citizens in producing the city as well as the enormous amount of care work involved in these processes. Citation: Soliz, A. Creating Keywords: cycling; social movements; mobility justice; ethnography; insurgent citizenship; sustain- Sustainable Cities through Cycling able transportation; Mexico Infrastructure? Learning from Insurgent Mobilities. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8680. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su13168680 1. Introduction Academic Editor: Tan Yigitcanlar In March 2018, I joined a group of bicycle advocates in Aguascalientes, Mexico in an impromptu meeting regarding a series of lighting disappearances on one of the city’s Received: 1 June 2021 principal cycling facilities: Ciclovía Gómez Morín (Figures1 and2)—a bicycle–pedestrian Accepted: 22 July 2021 path on the outer-eastern edge of the city center. We had just attended a celebration Published: 4 August 2021 organized by the municipal government for the planned expansion of this path; however, the ongoing blackouts raised new concerns for activists, ranging from visibility to personal Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral security. I remember standing together under the streetlamp’s darkness for some time, with regard to jurisdictional claims in trying to make sense of how the lights’ solar-chargers, and at times the entire poles, had published maps and institutional affil- been taken mysteriously at night. Rafael, a long-time bicyclist in the city, discussed a iations. particularly devasting mugging that he experienced on this facility at night, which left him seriously injured and bikeless for several months. Araceli, a leader in the bicycle movement, reminded us that these issues have been particularly challenging for women commuters amidst a rising crisis of gender-based violence: “We have to worry about who Copyright: © 2021 by the author. might be lurking in the bushes,” she explained, so “sometimes I’d rather take the risk and Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. ride out in the street with the cars instead of riding on the dark path.” I also remember how This article is an open access article fear crept around us as twilight loomed, leading our discussion to an abrupt end. distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Sustainability 2021, 13, 8680. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168680 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability SustainabilitySustainability2021 2021, ,13 13,, 8680 x FOR PEER REVIEW 22 of 2122 FigureFigure 1.1. Missing solar charger for light, Ciclovía* Ciclovía* Gómez Gómez Morín. Morín. Photo Photo provided provided by by the the author. author. * *In In Mexico Mexico (and (and in in this this paper), paper), the the term term ciclovíaciclov isía usedis used to refer to refer broadly broadly to a variety to a variety of bicycle of bicycle infra- structure, including cycling lanes, bicycle–pedestrian paths, and shareways. This term is used dif- infrastructure, including cycling lanes, bicycle–pedestrian paths, and shareways. This term is used ferently in other areas of Latin America, such as Colombia, where a ciclovía refers more specifically Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEWdifferently in other areas of Latin America, such as Colombia, where a ciclovía refers more specifically3 of 22 to a car-free day (which is generally called a paseo dominical in Mexico). to a car-free day (which is generally called a paseo dominical in Mexico). As we hurried away from the development that evening, questions about the infra- structure’s sustainability lingered. While the path was developed as a primary route within the city’s active-transportation network (Figure 2b), the ongoing raids of its solar- powered lighting as well as the muggings that many active commuters have experienced have contributed to a widespread avoidance of this facility at night. Yet for activists such as Araceli and Rafael, these problems extend far beyond a few broken lights, requiring attention to a broad spectrum of social justice concerns. How can these social movement actors help to inform our understanding of sustainable transportation development, in- cluding the more precarious aspects of bicycle travel? (a) (b) FigureFigure 2. 2. (a(a) )Map Map of of Ciclovía Ciclovía Gómez Gómez Morín, Morín, as as of of February February 2021. 2021. (b (b) )Aguascalientes’ Aguascalientes’ expanded expanded “yo “yo voy” voy” cycling cycling network network asas of of February February 2021. 2021. According According to to the the st stateate government, government, the the network network now now encompasses encompasses over over 100 100 km km of of cycling cycling facilities; facilities; however,however, it it remains remains highly highly fragmented. fragmented. Images Images provided provided by: by: CoordinaciónCoordinación General General de de Movilidad Movilidad,, Aguascalientes. Aguascalientes. SustainableAs we hurried transportation away from theis broadly development understood that evening, as networks questions intended about to the support infras- mobilitiestructure’s that sustainability are environmentally lingered. While responsible, the path economically was developed viable, as a primaryand socially route just within [1]. Cycling has been defined as one—if not the most—sustainable urban transport mode given its feasibility for shorter and medium-distance trips that are too long to cover on foot [2,3]. Building on speculative theorizing on post-car futures [4], recent scholarship has emphasized the power of bicycle-utopian thinking in the transition to more sustaina- ble urban futures [5,6]. Thus, sustainable cycling infrastructure can be understood as both solid material forms intended to facilitate bicycle travel and prominent imaginary con- structs where expectations about environmental futures are played out. Yet beyond the immediate physical implementation of cycling infrastructure, and beyond the environ- mental imaginaries unfurled in this process, the case of Ciclovía Morín points to the need for a careful assessment of the vulnerabilities that can characterize cycling facilities and the work of local communities in contending with these instabilities. Questions on infrastructural deficits have been gaining momentum in the social, pub- lic health, and engineering sciences [7,8]. Blackouts, breakages, and other shortfalls have surfaced infrastructure in unexpected ways—producing a type of infrastructural inver- sion [9] that highlights socio-material arrangements that often remain submerged, un-no- ticed, or neglected [10,11]. Deterioration accentuates how social exclusions are refracted through uneven access to infrastructural provision and maintenance [12,13]. In many Latin American cities, persistent infrastructural breakdown has become the norm as resi- dents contend with constant deferrals and have to improvise in order to obtain the re- sources and transport necessary for daily life [14–16]. The pilfering of Ciclovía Morín’s lighting, and the frequent nocturnal robberies that have ensued, is one example of infra- structural violence—a concept that underscores the ways that broad social inequities be- come operational through urban infrastructure [17]. From this perspective, the crisis of urban violence currently threatening Aguascalientes’ cycling facilities does not occur in a vacuum. Rather, it needs to be understood in relation to longstanding mobility injustices, including those relating to police brutality and other forms of systemic oppression. Theoriz- ing on transportation resourcefulness [18] and grassroots knowledge [19] further help to counter dystopic characterizations of infrastructural degradation in resource-poor Sustainability 2021, 13, 8680 3 of 21 the city’s active-transportation network (Figure2b), the ongoing raids of its solar-powered lighting as well as the muggings that many active commuters have experienced have con- tributed to a widespread avoidance of this facility at night. Yet for activists such as Araceli
Recommended publications
  • Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002
    ORGANIZED CRIME AND TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN MEXICO, 1999-2002 A Report Prepared by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress under an Interagency Agreement with the United States Government February 2003 Researcher: Ramón J. Miró Project Manager: Glenn E. Curtis Federal Research Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540−4840 Tel: 202−707−3900 Fax: 202−707−3920 E-Mail: [email protected] Homepage: http://loc.gov/rr/frd/ Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Criminal and Terrorist Activity in Mexico PREFACE This study is based on open source research into the scope of organized crime and terrorist activity in the Republic of Mexico during the period 1999 to 2002, and the extent of cooperation and possible overlap between criminal and terrorist activity in that country. The analyst examined those organized crime syndicates that direct their criminal activities at the United States, namely Mexican narcotics trafficking and human smuggling networks, as well as a range of smaller organizations that specialize in trans-border crime. The presence in Mexico of transnational criminal organizations, such as Russian and Asian organized crime, was also examined. In order to assess the extent of terrorist activity in Mexico, several of the country’s domestic guerrilla groups, as well as foreign terrorist organizations believed to have a presence in Mexico, are described. The report extensively cites from Spanish-language print media sources that contain coverage of criminal and terrorist organizations and their activities in Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Prensa Y Poder Político En Xalapa Interrelaciones Durante El Proceso
    UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES HISTÓRICO- SOCIALES PRENSA Y PODER POLÍTICO EN XALAPA Interrelaciones durante el proceso electoral del 2010 TESIS Que para obtener el grado de: Maestra en Ciencias Sociales Presenta: Liliana Gabriela Ortega Polanco Directora de tesis: Celia Del Palacio Montiel Xalapa, Veracruz abril de 2012 2 3 Dedicatorias A mis padres por la vida, a mi madre que me ató a la tierra A Santiago, que me enseña a volar, a creer, a pensar Al Negro por acceder a convertirnos en algo mejor A mis hermanas del alma; a Marisa por su apoyo incondicional, por su ejemplo y fortaleza y a Geo por las horas de discusión, compañía y complicidad A Omar, por volver a mi vida e iluminarla de esa manera A Shira, Emilia y Aracely por estar; a Montserrat por ser mi cómplice en esta aventura A la vida por permitirme llegar hasta aquí sin traicionarme Agradecimientos A Saúl Ramírez, Lev García, Edgar Ávila y Regina Martínez por su tiempo y su participación en este proyecto A Tulio Moreno por su apoyo y por el préstamo de los ejemplares de La Jornada Veracruz A Celia del Palacio por la oportunidad, por el Seminario, por los libros y la guía 4 5 Introducción ............................... 7 3.2.1.3 Dante Delgado .............................. 132 3.2.2 Temas .............................................. 135 0 S ................................................................. 7 3.2.2.1 Arranque de campañas ................ 136 3.2.2.2 Cierre de campaña ....................... 140 3.2.2.3 Debate electoral ............................ 143 Capítulo 1. Aproximaciones 3.2.2.4 Coyunturas y otros temas ............. 143 teóricas y metodológicas .......
    [Show full text]
  • El Hombre Que Rescató Al México Tenochtitlan ● Muere a Los 93 Años El Historiador Y Erudito Miguel León-Portilla
    DIRECTORA GENERAL: CARMEN LIRA SAADE MIÉRCOLES 2 DE OCTUBRE DE 2019 // CIUDAD DE MÉXICO // AÑO 36 // NÚMERO 12639 // Precio 10 pesos DIRECTOR FUNDADOR: CARLOS PAYÁN VELVER El hombre que rescató al México Tenochtitlan ● Muere a los 93 años el historiador y erudito Miguel León-Portilla ● Fue incansable estudioso de la lengua náhuatl y su pensamiento ● Su vasta obra recoge el sentir de las culturas originarias del país ● ‘‘Nos duele la desigualdad espantosa de la nación’’, decía ÁNGEL VARGAS / P 3A Destacan que mantuvo viva la llama del saber mesoamericano ● Se le rendirá homenaje en el Palacio de Bellas Artes este jueves a partir de las 10 horas MÓNICA MATEOS-VEGA, REYES MARTÍNEZ, MERRY MACMASTERS Y ÁNGEL VARGAS / CULTURA ‘‘Viví una AMLO plantea vida feliz y quitar examen completa, de admisión en con exceso universidades ● ‘‘Por décadas ha sido un de juventud mecanismo de exclusión para estudiantes’’, afirma a cuestas’’ ● Es inviable, porque la demanda supera a la oferta, dicen en la UNAM; Anuies pide respetar autonomías F. MARTÍNEZ, N. JIMÉNEZ, ▲ Miguel León-Portilla, el último gran tlamatini (hombre sabio, en publicado en 1959, la cual ha sido traducida a más de 15 idiomas. Fue A. SÁNCHEZ Y J. ROMÁN / P 36 náhuatl), centró su interés en los pueblos del México prehispánico. un intelectual comprometido, quien se distinguió por su afabilidad, Escribió más de 40 obras, entre las que destaca Visión de los vencidos, gran sentido del humor y generosidad. Foto María Luisa Severiano LA JORNADA 2 EDITORIAL Miércoles 2 de octubre de 2019 Estatizar
    [Show full text]
  • Comunicado De Prensa. Indicadores De Ocupación Y Empleo
    COMUNICADO DE PRENSA NÚM. 501/21 26 DE AGOSTO DE 2021 PÁGINA 1/2 Próxima publicación: 28 de septiembre INDICADORES DE OCUPACIÓN Y EMPLEO CIFRAS OPORTUNAS DURANTE JULIO DE 20211 (Cifras originales) El INEGI informa sobre los principales resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación y Empleo, Nueva Edición (ENOEN) para julio de este año, los cuales indican que 59 millones de personas de 15 y más años de edad son Población Económicamente Activa (PEA), lo que representa una Tasa de Participación de 59.9 por ciento2. Dicha población es superior en 6.6 millones respecto a la de julio de 2020. Por su parte, el complemento, la Población No Económicamente Activa (PNEA) fue de 39.5 millones de personas, cifra inferior en 3.4 millones a la de julio del año previo; a su interior, la PNEA disponible se redujo 3.6 millones. De la PEA, 56.4 millones de personas (95.6%) estuvieron ocupadas en el séptimo mes de 2021, cifra que aumentó en 6.8 millones de personas en su comparación anual. A su interior el subuniverso de personas subocupadas, es decir, que declararon tener necesidad y disponibilidad para trabajar más horas, representó 7.5 millones (tasa de 13.2% de la población ocupada) y significó un decremento de 1.6 millones de personas frente a julio del año pasado. En el mes de referencia, la población desocupada3 se estableció en 2.6 millones de personas e implicó una tasa de 4.4% de la PEA. Respecto a julio de 2020 la población desocupada disminuyó en 218 mil personas y la Tasa de Desocupación (TD) fue menor en 1 punto porcentual.
    [Show full text]
  • El Presente De Zedillo Y De Su Equipo El Cotidiano, Núm
    El Cotidiano ISSN: 0186-1840 [email protected] Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Azcapotzalco México Zepeda Bustos, Carmen Silvia; Uribe, Mónica El presente de Zedillo y de su equipo El Cotidiano, núm. 172, marzo-abril, 2012, pp. 87-98 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Azcapotzalco Distrito Federal, México Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=32523118011 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto El presente de Zedillo y de su equipo Carmen Silvia Zepeda Bustos* Mónica Uribe** Ernesto Zedillo aquí está y su equipo también. Contrariamente a la tesis de una suplantación absoluta de la clase política priista a partir de 2000, los zedilllistas aún se encuentran en el gobierno federal en áreas estratégicas. Y los que pasaron a la iniciativa privada, influyen en la opinión pública o están en empresas que tienen nexos con el gobierno de México. ¿Qué hace Ernesto Zedillo su pericia técnica en los procesos de pueda evadir, aún con todo el apoyo hoy en día? globalización. Zedillo ha sido exitoso de Relaciones Exteriores. en vender su imagen de salvador de Desde su salida en diciembre México, por sus buenos contactos del año 2000, Zedillo se dedicó a E n contraste con la visión que internacionales. Para ello le sirvió ser moverse en distintos ámbitos empre- de Zedillo se tiene en el país, en el presidente de México.
    [Show full text]
  • Derlas Vol. 8 No. 1 Vargas Hernandez
    DeRLAS Vol. 8 No. 1 Vargas Hernandez Delaware Review of Latin American Studies Vol. 8 No. 1 August 30, 2007 Co-operation and Conflict Between Firms, Communities, New Social Movements and the Role of the Government v Cerro de San Pedro Case José G. Vargas-Hernández, M.B.A.; Ph.D. Instituto Tecnológico de Cd. Guzmán Cd. Guzmán, Jalisco, México [email protected] ******************************** Geographical localization Cerro de San Pedro is a semi-abandoned historic mining town located in the center of Mexico, in the state of San Luis Potosi. Cerro de San Pedro is a small village 10 miles east of the city of San Luis Potosi, the capital of the state of San Luis Potosi. Location of Cerro San Pedro Model of the Potosí watershed Cerro de San Pedro is located in the mountains above the valley of San Luis Potosi and is part of the watershed area for the valley and its major cities. The valley is the source of 73% of the water for the area. Today, it is a ghost town containing the ruins of shops, churches, estates and a hospital. There are only about 100 people living in the Cerro. The hamlet of Real covers the hills on both sides of the canyon; large and small houses flank the narrow streets (Cordero de Enciso, 1997). The remains of the 400 year old town are still there, along with an active church and municipal office. The village of Cerro Premiére rue de San Pedro Vol8-1VargasHernandez.html[9/5/2016 7:33:29 PM] DeRLAS Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Mexico's National Guard: When Police Are Not Enough
    Mexico’s National Guard: When Police are Not Enough By Iñigo Guevara Moyano January 2020 GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS AFI Federal Investigations Agency, 2001-2012 AMLO Andres Manuel Lópes Obrador, President of Mexico 2018-2024 CNS National Commission of Security, SSP reorganized under SEGOB by EPN CUMAR Unified Center for Maritime and Port Protection, a Navy-led organization established to provide law enforcement functions in a Mexican port EPN Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico 2012-2018 Gendarmeria a military-trained/civilian-led paramilitary force, part of the PF, est 2014 PF Federal Police, est 2009 PFP Federal Preventive Police (1999-2009) PGR Attorney General’s Office (Federal) PAN National Action Party, right-wing political party est. 1939 PM Military Police, deployed in support of law enforcement PN Naval Police – originally similar to Military Police, but in its recent form a Marine infantry force deployed in support of law enforcement PRD Democratic Revolution Party, left wing political party est. 1989 PRI Institutional Revolutionary Party, center-left wing political part est. 1929 SCT Secretariat of Communications and Transports SEDENA Secretariat of National Defense, comprising Army and Air Force SEGOB Secretariat of Governance, similar to a Ministry of Interior SEMAR Secretariat of the Navy SSP Secretariat of Public Security (2000-2012) SSPC Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection est.2018 UIN Naval Intelligence Unit, est. 2009 UNOPES Naval Special Operations Unit UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 2 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 1. The Origins of the National Guard ....................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Enter the democratic era of competitive elections and out goes the PRI ......................................
    [Show full text]
  • RIR) Are Research Reports on Country Conditions
    Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 47 Home Country of Origin Information Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests (RIR) are research reports on country conditions. They are requested by IRB decision makers. The database contains a seven-year archive of English and French RIR. Earlier RIR may be found on the European Country of Origin Information Network website . Please note that some RIR have attachments which are not electronically accessible here. To obtain a copy of an attachment, please e-mail us. Related Links • Advanced search help 21 September 2020 MEX200313.E Mexico: Crime and criminality, including organized crime, alliances between criminal groups and their areas of control; groups targeted by cartels; state response; protection available to victims, including witness protection (2018–September 2020) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1. Overview and Statistics In its Global Peace Index 2019, an index measuring the absence of violence or fear of violence in 163 countries, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), an Australian independent non-partisan and non-profit think tank, ranks Mexico last for its peacefulness in the Central America and the Caribbean region and 137th out of the 163 countries examined in the report (IEP June 2019, 6, 9, 14). The US Department of State, in its Travel Advisory for Mexico, cautions that "[v]iolent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread" (US 6 Aug. https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/country-information/rir/Pages/index.aspx?doc=458183&pls=1 10/26/2020 Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 2 of 47 2020).
    [Show full text]
  • Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations
    Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations Updated July 28, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R41576 SUMMARY R41576 Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking July 28, 2020 Organizations June S. Beittel Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States Analyst in Latin American and have “the greatest drug trafficking influence,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Affairs Administration’s (DEA’s) annual National Drug Threat Assessment. These organizations, often referred to as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), continue to diversify into crimes of extortion, human smuggling, and oil theft, among others. Their supply chains traverse the Western Hemisphere and the globe. Their extensive violence since 2006 has caused Mexico’s homicide rate to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Mexican DTO activities significantly affect the security of both the United States and Mexico. As Mexico’s DTOs expanded their control of the opioids market, U.S. overdoses rose sharply according to the Centers for Disease Control, setting a record in 2019 with more than 70% of overdose deaths involving opioids, including fentanyl. Many analysts believe that Mexican DTOs’ role in the trafficking and producing of opioids is continuing to expand. Evolution of Mexico’s Criminal Environment Mexico’s DTOs have been in constant flux, and yet they continue to wield extensive political and criminal power. In 2006, four DTOs were dominant: the Tijuana/Arellano Félix Organization (AFO), the Sinaloa Cartel, the Juárez/Vicente Carillo Fuentes Organization (CFO), and the Gulf Cartel.
    [Show full text]
  • The Economic Consequences of Drug Trafficking Violence in Mexico
    Economic Consequences of Drug Trafficking Violence Poverty and Governance, Stanford University The Economic Consequences of Drug Trafficking Violence in Mexico Gustavo Robles Gabriela Calderón Beatriz Magaloni1 Stanford University Abstract: The levels of violence in Mexico have dramatically increased in the last few years due to structural changes in the drug trafficking business. The increase in the number of drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) fighting over the control of territory and trafficking routes has resulted in a substantial increase in the rates of homicides and other crimes. This study evaluates the economic costs of drug-­‐related violence. We propose electricity consumption as an indicator of the level of municipal economic activity and use two different empirical strategies to test this. We utilize an instrumental variable ion regress using as exogenous variation the instrument proposed by Castillo, Mejía, and Restrepo (2013) based on ical histor seizures of cocaine mbia in Colo interacted with the distance of the Mexican border towns to the United States. We find that marginal increases of violence have negative effects on labor participation and the proportion of unemployed in an area. The marginal effect of the increase in homicides is substantive for earned income and the proportion of business owners, but not for energy consumption. We also employ the methodology of synthetic controls to evaluate the effect that inter-­‐narco wars have on local economies. These wars in general begin with a wave of executions between rival criminal organizations and are accompanied by the deterioration of order and a significant increase in extortion, kidnappings, robberies, murders, and threats affecting the general population.
    [Show full text]
  • MEXICO Waiting for Justice in Chiapas
    MEXICO Waiting for Justice in Chiapas Physicians for Human Rights & Human Rights Watch/Americas Physicians for Human Rights Boston I. San Francisco !!!. Copyright (c) December 1994 by Physicians for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch/Americas All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 94-068655 ISBN: 1-879707-17-9 Cover design: Glenn Ruga/Visual Communications Cover photo: In the ejido of Morelia, the wives of Severiano Santiz Gómez, Sebastián Santiz López, and Hermelindo Santiz Gómez are still waiting for the Mexican government to identify and prosecute the military personnel responsible for the torture and murder of their husbands. Army troops detained the three men on January 7, 1994 (see Chapter VI). Five weeks later, their partially skeletonized remains were found in a ravine near Morelia. The remains were positively identified through anthropological and DNA analysis. 2 !. PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is an organization of health professionals, scientists, and concerned citizens which uses the knowledge and skills of the medical and forensic sciences to investigate and prevent violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Since 1986, PHR members have worked to stop torture, disappearances, and political killings by governments and opposition groups; to improve health and sanitary conditions in prisons and detention centers; to investigate the physical and psychological consequences of violations of humanitarian law in internal and international conflicts; to defend medical neutrality and the right of civilians and combatants to receive medical care during times of war; to protect health professionals who are victims of violations of human rights; and to prevent medical complicity in torture and other abuses.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Interest Lawyering in Mexico and the United States Carl M
    University of Miami Law School Institutional Repository University of Miami Inter-American Law Review 1-1-1996 Public Interest Lawyering in Mexico and the United States Carl M. Selinger Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.law.miami.edu/umialr Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons Recommended Citation Carl M. Selinger, Public Interest Lawyering in Mexico and the United States, 27 U. Miami Inter-Am. L. Rev. 343 (1996) Available at: http://repository.law.miami.edu/umialr/vol27/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Miami Inter- American Law Review by an authorized administrator of Institutional Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 343 PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERING IN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES CARL M. SELINGER* I. INTRODUCTION: THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERING .................................. 343 II. U.S. RELIANCE ON THE PRIVATE BAR ............................. 345 III. MEXICAN RELIANCE ON GOVERNMENT LAWYERS ..................... 348 IV. THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERING IN MEXICO ....................................... 354 I. INTRODUCTION: THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERING In the study of comparative law, a central concept is that of functionality: the different ways that the laws and legal systems of different countries attempt to deal with the same problems.1 One such problem is the provision of legal services to persons who are unable to retain a private lawyer. Every society that is * Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law; B.A. University of California (Berkeley), 1955; J.D. Harvard Law School, 1958.
    [Show full text]