Thursday, January 29, 2004

Garzon Stomps Mexico's Sovereignty

On a serious note, to read La Jornada (newspaper from Mexico) is to weep for a country that was once proud of its sovereignty, its stance regarding political asylum.

Yesterday the Clown Judge Baltasar Garzon took part on an arraignment date against the three Mexicans that had been previously exonerated by the Mexican government for lack of evidence as being part of a money laundering operation in behalf of ETA. They are now being accused of the same crime which in Mexico is unconstitutional, Garzon claims that he has now more evidence, too bad, he was supposed to produce during the 60 to 90 days that the Mexicans were held in house arrest. In Mexico you can not be accused of the same crime twice, new evidence or not.

The Mexicans received a court order, a day before to their surprise they were informed that the proceedings would take place at the head quarters of the Organized Crime Unit instead of the previous location at a court. Once there they had one more surprise, no one else than Baltasar Garzon along with an Spanish Magistrate and four police officers were in the room along with the Mexican police chief in charge of the Organized Crime Unit. In Mexico only the prosecution, the accused, the witnesses and the defense attorneys can be present at a hearing. Barbara Zamora demanded that the Spaniards would leave the room, the Mexican police chief had the four Spanish agents removed from the room but allowed Garzon and the Spanish Magistrate to remain which is a constitutional violation of the civil rights of the accused.

Today Baltasar Garzon and his entourage will visit the Reclusorio Norte to be present at a hearing for the five Basques and the Mexican detained there even after they won an appeal on Friday, once again Garzon will violate the Mexican constitution.

What does President Fox is doing about all this? The former central defender for the Centro Vasco soccer team is nowhere to be seen, I'm just wondering what his donostiarra ama (mother) things about all this.

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