FROM: AIPIN, Agencia Internacional de la Prensa India/International Office
of the Indigenous Press (fax/phone 011-52-5-521-6084, Mexico City)
To The International Community
(Mexico, September 30, 1994) Journalist Mr. Gunther Dietz from Germany has
been detained by Mexican Security Forces in the City of Morelia, capital of
the State of Michoacan on Thursday September 29, 1994.
Gunther Dietz is a journalist, and represents AIPIN, International Office of
the Indigenous Press in Germany. He is also Professor at the University of
Hamburg.
Gunther Dietz is in Mexico in order to carry on research together with AIPIN
journalists, and Master's students of the University of Hamburg, on the
current condition of media among Indigenous Peoples of the State of Michoacan,
located in Western Mexico.
Gunther Dietz was detained as he was taking a bus at the Morelia City bus
station. There three individuals who introduced themselves as members of
The Office of National Security of Mexico detained Mr. Dietz.
As a journalist affiliated with AIPIN, Mr. Dietz was reporting on a march
of the Purepecha Indigenous Peoples who are Original Peoples of that State.
The Perepecha departed on a march from the City of Patzcuaro on Tuesday,
September 27 in direction to Morelia, capital of Michoacan. The march covers
a distance of seventy kilometers (aprox. 50 miles)
After being detained, he was taken to the Instituto Nacional de Migracion,
Migration Nacional Institute, which is a branch of the Secretaria de
Gobernacion.
The reason given as an explanation of Mr. Dietz' detention is that it was a
simple immigration checking, and because of this he was pressed into detention
by national security officers.
As an explanation of his detention, Mr. Palacios, the Under-Director of
Immigration Matters, is trying to implicate journalist Gunther Dietz as an
activist of the Indigenous Movement of the Purepecha nation, enough reason
for his detention--according to Mr. Palacios.
Mr. Rogelio Mercado, Regional Correspondent of AIPIN in Michoacan, points
out as false the charges pressed on journalist Gunther Dietz. Mr. Mercado
said: "Gunther assisted our office technically, and he was observing the
Indigenous March developments in order to collect information for his
research."
Mr. Palacios, the Under-Director of Migration Matters, pressed charges
against Mr. Dietz, pointing to Lic. Isidoro Gonzalez Blanco, under-director
of National Security Protection of Mexico, as being responsible of Mr. Dietz
detention.
However, National Security Protection offices denied Mr. Palacios' words,
stressing that National Security Protection offices are not responsible at
all. Instead they accuse on this lack of seriousness of the Immigration
Subdirection Office which is trying to avoid responsibility responsible for
Mr. Dietz' detention.
AIPIN requests the solidarity of the International Community, Human Rights
groups, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous Journalists in order to implore
the Mexican Government to immediately release Journalist Mr. Gunther Dietz,
as well as to stop harassing AIPIN's regional correspondents in the State of
Michoacan, Mexico.
Do please send a fax to:
State Press Secretary/ Secretaria de Gobernacion
011-521-592-01-03
Copies to:
AIPIN, Agencia Internacional de la Prensa India
011-52-5-521-6084
posted by Prof. Guillermo Delgado-P.
University of California, Santa Cruz