Calderón's Dare

In response to recent attacks on Mexico's human rights record, Calderón challenged critics to prove one single case of abuse by government officials. That's an odd tactic, given the raft of detailed evidence demonstrating, at the very least, periodic violations. The reason there isn't "proof" in the legal sense is that the trials of military officials are conducted in military courts, which are structurally designed to not convict soldiers for abuses. Calderón comes across like a hit man who cynically mocks the DA for not having a shred of proof, because, of course, he well knows that the proof is at the bottom of a river. He may be right that there is no proof, but he's the president, not a two-bit hoodlum looking to beat a charge; given the breadth of the accusations, the burden of proof is on his administration. The burden of response is as well; simple and implausible denials don't inspire much confidence that his government is prepared to address this.