US Congressional Delegation Visists Mexico
Michael Eisenscher
Subject: Mexico Solidarity Network Sponsors US Congressional Delegation to
Mexico
Contact: Mexico Solidarity Network 773-583-7728
m...@mexicosolidarity.org
The Mexico Solidarity Network is sponsoring a delegation of staff members
from thirteen Congressional offices who will travel to Mexico from January
7-12. The delegation will spend January 7-9 in Chiapas investigating human
rights in Indigenous communities. The delegation will meet with Bishop
Samuel Ruiz, the Fray Bartolome Human Rights Center, Enlace Civil and the
Center for Economic and Political Research. They will travel to the
community of Acteal, site of a paramilitary massacre of 45 Indigenous
civilians on December 22, 1997, and the community of X'oyep.
From January 10-12 the delegation will be in Mexico City meeting with labor
leaders from the Authentic Labor Front (FAT), human rights activists from
Guerrero and Oaxaca, US Embassy officials, NGO's that will monitor the July
presidential elections, and Mexican government officials. Requests are
currently pending for meetings with officials from Mexican Immigration and
Gobernacion.
Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA, ranking Democrat on Subcommittee on
International Operations) has taken the lead in organizing the delegation,
which includes staff from co-chairs of the Congressional Human Rights
Caucus, Rep. John Porter (R-IL) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA). The following
Congressional offices are represented:
Cynthia McKinney (D-GA, International Relations, Armed Services)
John Porter (R-IL, Appropriations)
Tom Lantos (D-CA, International Relations, Government Reform)
John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI, Judiciary-ranking member)
Donald Payne (D-NJ, International Relations, Education & the Workforce)
Tom Lantos (D-CA, International Relations, Government Reform)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH, Appropriations)
John Oliver (D-MA, Appropriations)
Bernard Sanders (I-VT, Appropriations, Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry)
Michael Capuano (D-MA, Banking & Financial Services, Science)
Peter DeFazio (D-OR, Resources, Transportation & Infrastructure)
Diana DeGette (D-CO, Commerce)
Constance Morella (R-MD, Government Reform, Science)
This is the second Congressional delegation sponsored by the Mexico
Solidarity Network. In March of 1999, seven Congressional offices visited
Chiapas and Mexico City. The Mexico Solidarity Network is a coalition of 88
organizations that supports struggles for democracy, economic justice, peace
and human rights on both sides of the US-Mexico border. The delegation is
co-sponsored by Global Exchange.
Tom Hansen, National Coordinator of the Network, was expelled from Mexico
in 1998. In August of 1999, the Mexican Supreme Court overturned the
expulsion. Mexican Immigration authorities have decided not to respect this
decision and re-expelled Mr. Hansen in abstentia.