Highlights
– Recent high-profile kidnapping garners political and judicial attention
– New reforms focus on judicial penalties and anti-kidnapping initiatives at both federal and state level
– Reforms likely to have impact in long-term; kidnappings to remain an elevated concern in near to mid-term
Brought to the forefront of media coverage following the high profile kidnapping and murder of a 14-year-old boy in June 2008, kidnapping crimes in Mexico are facing closer scrutiny from politicians and activists alike. While figures are not at the levels seen during the 1990s wave of kidnappings, reports indicate that abduction incidents have rapidly increased in the first half of 2008 compared to numbers in 2007.
Mexico’s strong-armed President Felipe Calderon introduced new penalties for those guilty of kidnapping on August 7, 2008, which was followed by a 20-point plan introduced by Mexico City’s Mayor Marcelo Ebrard on August 10, 2008. The new reforms for criminal penalties, along with changes to police campaigns and anti-kidnapping initiatives, will likely help to decrease abduction for ransom cases in the long-term.
In the near to mid-term, however, distrust of police forces and the strong influence of cartels in the nation’s overall law-and-order situation will likely allow groups and individuals to continue to execute kidnappings.
Current Problem
Kidnapping figures indicate an increase in incidents from 2007, both nationwide and within Mexico City.
• In 2007, official reports state that 435 people were abducted in 2007—a 33 percent increase from 2006.
• In Mexico City, 119 people were kidnapped throughout 2007, while already 85 have been held hostage since January of this year.
• Child victims have also increased, with 15 being held in 2007 but already 22 abducted thus far in 2008.
As previously stated, these figures are believed to be lower than the actual number of cases, as many incidents are unreported to police and government officials due to distrust of law enforcement corruption.
The most recent catalyst for government attention was the June 2008 abduction of Fernando Marti, son of a prominent businessman in Mexico City. Marti was seized, along with his driver and bodyguard, at a fake police checkpoint set up along a main road in Mexico City. Marti and the bodyguard were taken away, and despite a payment of a reported US$3 million by his parents, the boy’s body was found in a car trunk on August 4, 2008. The bodyguard, originally believed to be dead, has recovered and is expected to be a key witness in the investigation. Most upsetting to Mexico City’s citizenry is the fact that two of the three people arrested in connection with the case thus far are members of the federal police. A flower was allegedly discovered along with Marti’s body, leading police to believe the possible involvement of a notorious kidnapping circuit known as “The Flower” or “The Band of Flowers.” Such groups operate throughout the nation, independent of the drug cartels, relying predominantly on kidnapping as a means of illegal profit.
New Reforms
Spurred by citizen pressure, President Calderon proposed new legislation to increase penalties for kidnapping crimes to include a possible life sentence if the kidnapper kills or gravely injures their victim. Currently, those charged with kidnapping face a maximum of 60 years in prison, with an additional 10 years if the victim is killed. Calderon hopes the new legislation would specifically work to target abductions by police and those in which minors are involved. Emilio Gamoa, the congressional leader for the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) also called for the reinstatement of the death penalty; however, it is unlikely that would happen, as the long-dormant death penalty was officially abolished in 2005.
Other federal reforms have been announced to help combat kidnapping, including:
• Creating five national 24-hour anti-kidnapping centers, manned by 300 officers
• New programs to help eliminate corruption in local and state police (No additional details have been provided at this time)
Changes have also been called for at the city level. Mexico City Mayor Ebrard announced a multi-point plan on August 10 that included:
• Creation of a new police investigative agency to replace its detective’s unit
• Naming 300,000 people as neighborhood anti-crime representatives
• Establishing a 24-hour anti-kidnapping hotline
• Offering rewards of up to 500,000 pesos (US$49,400) for information leading to the arrest of kidnappers
Future Outlook
While human rights activists have applauded President Calderon’s reforms, some hold reservations that Calderon is only playing to public opinion and not attempting to solve the real problem of police corruption, which prevents the majority of kidnappings from being resolved. Citizen outcry against the government’s handling of this issue is likely to increase in the near-term, including public rallies planned by multiple citizens’ organizations for August 30, 2008 and September 6, 2008.
While the establishment of some immediate initiatives, such as the hotlines and reward offers, may slightly help aid police with investigations in the near-term, the majority of the changes will require long-term reorganization, as well as institutional change, among law enforcement entities and will likely have little impact on the kidnapping problem in the near to mid-term.
