also see video here:

and spanish-language article here.

US Parents Seek Answers in Mexico Death

By JESSICA BERNSTEIN-WAX –

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The parents of an American journalist slain in
southern Mexico said Wednesday they were unsatisfied with the progress
authorities have made in the case and will have outside investigators
review video footage and forensic evidence.

Bradley Roland Will, a 36-year-old journalist-activist from New York,
was killed in October 2006 while filming unrest in Oaxaca state, where
protesters had been fighting for months to oust Gov. Ulises Ruiz for
alleged electoral fraud. Will recorded video and wrote dispatches for
indymedia.org in the month before his death.

“It’s been a year-and-a-half now,” said father Hardy Will, who
traveled to Mexico City and Oaxaca with Bradley’s mother Kathy Will to
meet with authorities and human rights groups. “We would expect some
progress and concrete results.”

[Note: Links to other articles at the bottom of the next page] (more…)

An excellent week of events about Brad, impunity in Mexico and the Bush Administration’s push for sending $1.4 billion in taxpayer money into the rat hole of ‘drug war’ funding. As most of the members of Friends of Brad Will are well aware, this would be a colossal mistake, promising to destabilize Mexico with violence and an entrenched brutal security apparatus, just at a moment when indigenous communities, fair trade activists, and good government associations are mobilizing to demand an end to corruption, fraud, and abuses of power.

That’s why the United Steelworkers, the Drug Policy Alliance, Global Exchange, Witness for Peace and many others oppose Plan Mexico. Bush & Calderon’s Plan Mexico ignores the real need for fair economic development, promising instead NAFTA with a stick.

Oh yeah, and it would also do zero to stop narco-trafficking (see Plan Colombia and our Plan Mexico section for more info, including this excellent article).

Check out the amazing events, which our network helped put together. Thanks to the prestigious School of International Public Affairs at Columbia University for inviting us to make a presentation about Plan Mexico and the new security paradigm (Feb 21); thanks to Caridad Svich and Jason Grote who invited us to provide a panel discussion and dance performance piece at the elegant and delightful Conference on Latin American Theater entitled, No Passport DREAMING THE AMERICAS (Pics here);
And thanks to Bluestockings independent highbrow bookstore for inviting Friends of Brad Will and continuing to inform your clients about Brad Will’s murder and Plan Mexico!

Here below are pictures of the events!

Here’s a link to the Crimethinc re-publishing of the Rolling Stone piece and a discussion of it.

Great news! Friends of Brad Will met with Senator Schumer yesterday

at his book-signing event in Brooklyn.

We leafleted using a flyer with his picture on it and urged him to show his leadership by calling for accountability for the murder of U.S. journalist Brad Will and others murdered in Mexico by Mexican government paramilitaries.

We also brought the Merida Initiative to his attention and urged he speak out against it.
(more…)

Great news! Friends of Brad Will met with Senator Schumer yesterday in Brooklyn to urge his support of accountability for the murder of U.S. journalist Brad Will and others murdered in Mexico by Mexican government paramilitaries and bring the Merida Initiative to his attention and urge he speak out against it.

The Merida Initiative known as Plan Mexico is a $1.4 billion military package proposed by President Bush for Mexico. It is being debated in Congress now (even though they haven’t even seen the full ’security’ initiative.

Please read through the brief note (w/talking points on Plan Mexico) below and give Senator Schumer a call or email urging an end to impunity for Brad Will’s murder and the murder of innocent Mexicans in Atenco, Oaxaca and elsewhere in Mexico by Mexican security forces and that he oppose Plan Mexico. (more…)

Flier for Panel discussion and event

White House Invades Mexico Tonight- February 22, 2008 7PM

An original Theater/Dance piece commissioned for the DREAMING THE AMERICAS / THE BODY POLITIC IN PERFORMANCE (more…)

see also Human Rights Watch’s report.

Original article.
Mexico Human Rights Agency Called Ineffective

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: February 14, 2008, New York Times

MEXICO CITY — There is a common saying in Mexico about police investigations and government inquiries that goes “no pasa nada,” or “nothing happens.”

Indeed, so seldom are officials, soldiers and business leaders held responsible for their actions in court that one often also hears Mexicans decrying their “culture of impunity.” Investigations often start with great fanfare only to die a quiet death. (more…)

Thanks to erin, in San Francisco for sending this article!

Excellent run-down of why the ‘drug war’ and it’s newest incarnation, Plan Mexico are dangerous costly mistakes for our country. - rob

How America Lost the War on Drugs
After Thirty-Five Years and $500 Billion, Drugs Are as Cheap and Plentiful as Ever: An Anatomy of a Failure. by Ben Wallace-Wells

click here for story.

For an interview with Rolling Stone contributing editor Ben Wallace-Wells on the reporting of this feature, click here.

Stop “Plan Mexico”! Public Service Announcement, 3.5 minutes
Now available on YouTube!

Click here.

Please watch, forward, embed and make use of this resource.

Video text:

Plan Mexico was hatched by Presidents Bush and Calderon without any consultation from the US or Mexican congresses. (more…)

Representante José Serrano
788 Southern Blvd.
Bronx, New York 10455
(718) 620-0084

Estimado Representante José Serrano:

Mediante esta carta queremos llamar su atención cerca de la reciente Iniciativa de Merida de los presidentes Bush y Calderón, mas conocida como “Plan México.” Le escribo pidiéndole su mas enérgico rechazo a esta medida. Plan concebido sin previa consulta con el Congreso que además perpetuara las fallas y violencia del Plan Colombia que ha provocado un aumento tanto de las violaciones a los derechos humanos como de la producción de cocaína. El Center for Internacional Policy considera que poner un alto al Plan México constituye uno de los tres desafíos mas importantes para construir sociedades mas justas y pacificas en América Latina.

El Plan México contempla la entrega de $1.5 billones de dólares generados por nuestros impuestos así como de equipo para las fuerzas armadas, la policía y los servicios de inteligencia Mexicanos. Ninguna cantidad de la ayuda contemplada en el primer paquete de esta acuerdo de tres años contempla el apoyo a las áreas que mas lo requieres: prevención y tratamiento de la adicción en los Estados Unidos y financiamiento al desarrollo local en México. Enviar equipo a la policía y fuerzas armadas mexicanas en el contexto de abusos a los derechos humanos no llevados ante la ley promueve la impunidad. Los asesinos del periodista independiente y trabajador voluntario en el Bronx Brad Will, identificados en grabaciones videográficas, siguen en libertad como recientemente reportara la revista Rolling Stone. ¡Ningún tipo de ayuda mientras los asesinos caminen libres por las calles!

Un aumento de la vigilancia, y de acciones de la policía secreta y fuerzas paramilitares pone en peligro las libertades civiles de la población en general, y de los activistas sociales, lideres sindicales y pueblo indígenas en particular. Una invasión de compañías militares estadounidenses como Blackwater, y la intervención directa de los Estados Unidos conducirá inevitablemente a una relación clientelar que comprometerá seriamente la soberanía de Medico así como incrementara la politica intervencionista de los Estados Unidos. Según el analista de asuntos de seguridad Sam Logan, a pesar de su mala reputación ganada por sus ataques armados a civiles en Iraq, Blackwater resultaría como el mayor beneficiario de esta política. Esta iniciativa de “seguridad” se llevara a cabo en un contexto de mayor apertura de la economía mexicana a mayores privatizaciones y explotación por parte de empresas multinacionales. Como debera de estar enterado los Trabajadores del Acero (US Steelworkers) han manifestado su oposición a esta estrategia anti-laboral.

En una carta a los Representantes Tom Lantos y David Obey, el Presidente de USW Internacional Leo W. Gerard demanda la convocatoria de una audiencia que examine las violaciones a los derechos laborales en México como parte de la evaluación del pedido de financiamiento solicitado por la Presidencia; que esta establezca requisitos específicos en el ámbito laboral que deberá cumplir el gobierno mexicano como precondición a cualquier financiamiento; y que el paquete de financiamiento se destine en su integridad hacia el fortalecimiento de los derechos humanos y el cumplimiento de las leyes. Según escribo Gerard, “las flagrantes violaciones de los derechos fundamentales de los trabajadores por parte de la administración del Presidente Calderón y su continuo uso de las fuerzas de seguridad para asaltar a trabajadores desarmados levanta serias consideraciones.”

Al poner énfasis en la interdicción el Plan Mexico expande una guerra contra las drogas que ha fracasado miserablemente en Colombia. Asi, un estudio de la conservadora Rand Corporation para el Drug Policy Research Center del ejercito estadounidense concluyo que el tratamiento es 23 veces mas efectivo que la interdicción. México necesita y merece el apoyo de los Estados Unidos en forma de acuerdos comerciales justos, que prioricen derechos laborales e indígenas así como otros derechos humanos y la protección del medio ambiente. Como lo ha notado Global Exchange, “la masiva militarización de México no es una ayuda y conducirá mas bien a un aumento de la represión.” Finalmente, el contenido completo del plan de Bush debe ser hecho publico.

¡Trabajemos dentro y fuera del Congreso para detener al Plan Mexico!
Por favor responda por escrito tan pronto le sea posible

Atentamente

Nombre: ____________________________ Dirección: _______________________