A year ago we presented a report on abuse committed by the military during the tenure of Felipe Calderon and we carried out some updates, which I think are important. In 2007 we had 54 cases of military abuse. In 2008 the number increased to 119 cases of abuse. In the first quarter only of 2009, it rose to 115 cases.
What is the basic problem here? On the one hand, the increase in cases of abuse committed against the civilian population is due to the number of military officers deployed throughout the territory. But it is also due to the impunity of the military, because they know very well that they can commit these types of abuse without any consequences.
Here, as you say, it is necessary to review the strategy and to put forward a new strategy that is rational and respects human rights. We want security or safety, but not at the cost of basic rights. The federal government has announced that it's going to change its strategy. I think the basic problem here, as you have stated, is that the starting point is erroneous. This is the concept of safety in Mexico from the point of view of war-like activity. In other words, there is a discourse that repeats itself over and over, and it refers to combat or to the war against drug trafficking. Any war is irrational.
In this regard, we have pointed out--it is the executive who have pointed this out, as well as officials who attempt to convince us of the serious risks involved--that these elements render obvious a very simplistic idea as to what is actually happening in Mexico, particularly the conditions that make it possible to commit offences in our country. Violence cannot be attacked with more violence, yet this is exactly what is happening in Mexico. There's also a certain reduction of crime, and it just applies to certain crimes. I think that's also a basic problem.
The war-like system cannot provide such a simplistic solution to the aggravating factors. If these measures are conceived without properly thinking about them or without considering them within the perspective of human rights, it causes serious consequences for people. We do not agree with the statement that they are collateral damage. The people are harmed.