Pomona City Council Resolution on disappearance of 43 students / Iguala

Below is a resolution that is being presented to the Pomona city council in support of a full investigation into the disappearance of 43 students from Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.The resolution has been given to the Mayor to place on the agenda.  There will be a city council

meeting this evening and we have asked supporters to go into the city council meeting at 6:45.  Right now, it is not clear if it will be on the agenda for a vote tonight or whether it will be on the agenda for the next meeting.  Just in case, some of us will be there this evening and you are welcome.  It is also ok to speak in the comments section on the issue from the basis that the issue was a primary theme in the Cesar Chavez Park celebration on Saturday and that a number of Pomona community residents raised their concerns at the event about the disappearance of the 43 students and concerns for their own family members living in Mexico who are directly affected by the violation of human rights in the country.  This basis can be used to talk about the events in Mexico and how it is affecting our communities here. 


RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A FULL INVESTIGATION
INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 43 STUDENTS FROM IGUALA, GUERRERO, MEXICO

Whereas on September 26, 2014, in the Mexican city of Iguala, Guerrero, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural University (Escuela Normal) were taken by force and are still missing; whereas the students were mostly children from poor, rural families who were training to become teachers to serve the rural and indigenous poor; and

Whereas the authorities failed to promptly and diligently take action and did not start to search for the missing students and adequately protect the survivors and the families without delay; and

Whereas the recent events in Guerrero represent an unprecedented level of human rights violations and exposes extremely serious issues of impunity, collusion between police officers and organized crime gangs, and excessive use of force and therefore must be addressed for remedial action; and

Whereas this incident reverberates with the experience of many Pomona residents whose families have suffered similar violence in Latin America;

Now therefore, be it resolved that Pomona supports the bereaved relatives’ and students’ and public’s demand for an independent international inquiry into the events that happened in Iguala, including a full investigation into the disappearances, an exhaustive establishment of all responsibilities, and the prosecution and effective condemnation of the responsible at levels, in line with international standards of justice.

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