A former general, José Francisco Gallardo, has declared his candidacy for the CNDH position. I know nothing about Gallardo, but a general truly committed to human rights would in a lot of ways be the ideal candidate, in an "only Nixon could go to China" sort of way. Since one of the most pressing human rights issues in Mexico is army abuses, a general would be in the ideal position to a) understand that the army doesn't have to sacrifice any of its efficiency or effectiveness through a greater focus on human rights; and b) confront the hidebound military men and their political defenders who resist a thorough accounting of recent abuses and a cleansing of the army's bad apples.
And, to justify the pluralized noun the post's title, José Ángel Córdova, the respected health secretary who is being taken to task here for some inconsistent pronouncements on the availability of flu vaccines, is evidently being groomed as a candidate for the governorship of Guanajuato.
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4 comments:
General Galardo is actually kind of an inspiring candidate... having been falsely accused of "corruption" mostly for blowing the whistle on human rights abuses within the Army, he spent several years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. That's a guy who knows human rights from more than a theoretical perspective.
I didn't realize that was who that was. From that perspective, he definitely sounds like a worthy selection.
I don't know anything about him, but as long as Mexican military justice is the most hermetically sealed in the hemisphere from the fuero civil, I wouldn't expect any major changes no matter who is in the CNDH (although maybe this is the right person to push for that change).
Yeah probably so. Better a strong guy than a lackey, but until the politicians (or maybe the Court?) are willing to confront the military brass, an honorable guy at CNDH only means so much.
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