FGR and Sedena leads torture complaints since 2019

The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) is the institution that leads the number of complaints about torture since 2019, according to the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH).

From 2019 to September 2022, a total of 241 cases of torture accumulate; in this period the FGR has accumulated 76 complaints; the Army follows (46). Among these institutions, there are 122 complaints, equivalent to 50% of the total.

These are followed by the then Federal Police (43); the National Guard (28) and the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (25).

In 2019, the three main institutions with the most complaints of torture were the Federal Police (35); the FGR (27) and the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) with 27.

By 2020, the FGR accumulated 12 cases; the PF eight and the Army six; while for 2021, the first place was occupied by the FGR (18), followed by the GN (15) and the Sedena (9).

In turn, between January and September of this year, the FGR accumulates 19 complaints for alleged acts of torture committed by its members; It is followed by the GN (13) and the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (6).

Risks due to militarization

Eunice Rendón, a security specialist, mentioned that after the approval of the reform to expand the operations of the Armed Forces in terms of public security, until 2028, it could increase the cases of torture in the country, since said institutions are not trained .

“I prefer a figure that was released by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) where it was reported that two thirds of those detained in Mexico were tortured, suffered beatings or other actions against them,” Rendón said.

He added that the institutions have to be trained to be able to carry out their security tasks without the need to commit torture.

“In a security strategy that prevents these abuses towards people, particularly training in proximity and the use of force. Participation with vulnerable populations, from the issue of the police”, said the specialist.

research method

For his part, Dr. Raúl Benítez Manaut, a member of the Seminar on Violence and Peace at El Colegio de México, commented that the Armed Forces use this practice to extract information and continue investigations.

However, he pointed out that torture in Mexico is historic.

At present, he added, “the security forces have set aside physical torture and implemented mechanisms of psychological torture, making disappearance threats, for example.”

politica@eleconomista.mx