Ernestina Ascención

[Art]

Ernestina Ascención Rosario, indigenous woman of 73 years old, was attacked last February the 25th, and died the following day, February the 26th in the locality of Zongolica, Atzompa, in the State of Veracrúz, México.
The examination of the body by the Justice Department of the State of Veracrúz reported remanents of semen and it was declared by the necropsy she died because of rectal penetration, broken ribs and signs of torture: She died because of a multitudinal violation.
The family of Ernestina found her the next morning, February 26th, and they report that she said: "The militars they all jumped on me". The militia on the area is the 63th batallion of the 26th milirtaty zone.
She was taken to the hospital, where she died.
On March the 6th, the Secretary for the National Defence (SEDENA) did issue a comunicaton stating it had interviwed 4 officers and 79 soldiers, founding no proves as to be involved in the murder of Ernestina.
On February 27th, the Mexican Nation came to know about this crime. On that day, the National Comission for Human Rights (CNDH) concluded Ernestina had not been raped, and that she, instead, died because of a "sever anemia".
Last April the 19th, the President of the CNDH, José Luis Soberanes, informed in press conference that the Justice Department of the State of Veracruz had manipulated the evidences, making mistakes and omitions that the police should investigate.
April 24th over 300 indigenous people from Zongolica marched to Mexico City, demanding the destitution of Soberanes.
Meanwhile, in Atzompa, the comunity did gather: Local authorities, comunity representatives, indigenous judges, and leaders of civil organizations concluded: "The CNDH did not investigated Ernestina's declarations about her agressors and rapist being soldiers; instead, it demanded to exhume the body to investigate the ailments and possible illnesses the sister had, to try to demonstrate her death was because of the dolencies of her age, suporting the declarations of the President of the Republic (Calderón) that her death was natural, and that there were no violence, nor violation".
The declaration from the State of Veracruz was issued by the ginecologist María Catalina Rodríguez Rosas, member of the agency for sexual crimes in the Justice Department in Veracrúz. This declaration was issued on February 25th at 11:40 pm seven hours before Ernestina died. This document mentions: "on rectal tact can be detected an ulceration with liquid content seemingly with a perforation on the posterior wall of the rectum (...) it is painful to touch".
The report continues: "Perforation of the rectum, broncopneumony, isquemic hipoxic encefalopathy, hipothermia, sexual agression", recomending "urgent general surgery".
This ginecologist, María Catalina Rodríguez Rosas, is one of the persons pointed by the President of the CNDH, José Luís Soberanes, as one of thos manipulating the evidence, adding, just to make it muddier, "political and extra-legal intentions".
Soberanes warned he would present charges against a very long list of witneses and public functionaries who somehow had participated on the investigation in Zongolica, all of them guided, according to Soberanes, by Emeterio López, the very same Procurator of Justice of the State of Veracrúz.
Soberanes is accusing Huerta of "insisting" to the forensic personnel to write down on their report "raped by the soldiers".
The story has been long and painful for México. Soberanes arguing all involved did manupulate the evidnece, and all the involved proving and re-proving their findings once and again -and Soberanes refuting it all. The Comissions fior Equity and Genre, Human Rights, and of Justice, from the Legislative Chamber, called Soberanes to declare in front of them, where he failed to make any sence at all. He failed to present the evidencies of Ernestina's anemia, and incurred on several contradictions. He failed to answer the next questions, among others: Why he played the role of a Judge? Why to discualify the work of the Justice Department of Veracrúz? Why the milirats have not been investigated? Why SEDENA has not been investigated? Why he did not issued a recomendation to the President of the Republic (due to his declarations during a interview last March the 12th: "There are no signs that she was violated")?
Because of this, Soberanes was "shocked". He could not belive they would not belive him! He said a definitive conclussion will be issued today, May the 1st. And It has happened (the link is on spanish): Ernestina was not raped by members of the Army. "(her) death cannot be the result of factors external to the fisiology or her organism (...) there was an anal tearing on the indigenous woman, but no criminalistic evidence that there was the introduction of a viril member or of some object".
... and case closed.

Monstruous. The President of the National Comission for Human Rights, he, of all, and what he represnets, was comissioned to cover the mexican Army: Impunity for the murder of Ascención.

 

[Art]

On May the 1rst it was reported that, on May the 2nd, Calderón would be traveling to Campeche, Tabasco and Veracrúz to start a social program for... (take a seat)... the attention to people older than 70 years old.
The tour started in Campeche; from there, Calderón went to Tabasco. From there, to Veracrúz, in the locality of Mecayapan, place where the social program was oficially started.
Earlier that day (today, May the 2nd), in Morelia, Michoacán, the army suffered an ambush. 5 soldiers died and 4 were injured. The authorities deployed a force of at least 5oo elements to find the responsables of this ambush. More back-up is expected in the following hours from the militar zones of the rest of the country.
"They died like heroes, and as heroes they shall be treted and remembered", said Calderón while inaugurating the social program for the attention to people over 70 years old. He said this in Tabasco, before arriving to Veracrúz.
As of yet, no where on the media is informaed what Calderón said in Veracrúz.
The PRD (oposition party) will propose to create a special comission (link in spanish) to investigate the events in Zongolica, because the fact that the Office for Justice of the state of Veracrúz did step back from their statements, "is absolutelly irresponsible", said the General Secretary of that party.
Links on spanish:
- "Shamefull" the actions of the the Office for Justice in veracrúz.
- Veracrúz cries out "Justice!"
- Ernestina's case to International Comission for Human Rights

 

[Art]

Ernestina Ascención

On April the 14th, the Army thanked Calderón (link in spanish) "the support showed since the first day of your rulership, to improve the quality of our lifes; our wifes and children, who are present here, are also thankful".
That was said by Rafael García Aguilar, director of the Superior School of War.
Since day one, Calderón has been giving and re-instituting priviledges to the Army, being shure to obtain their support for his period. He has been working on this pretty hard, and no Ascención will come to spoil the romance, even if the lifes of a few soldiers are required to that effect.

 

[anart]

Ernestina Ascención

"They died like heroes, and as heroes they shall be treted and remembered",

Gahhh!! And Ernestina died as a brutalized victim of heroes like these - truly sickening and yet another example of the global pathocracy. Thanks for filling us in on this, Art - keep us updated.

 

[Art]

Ernestina Ascención

Calderón, who has been applauded because of his "sobriety" (less appearance on the media, opposite to the ex-president Fox, who used to appear 3-5 times every day on every tv station, news papers, radio program or media at his dispossal, including the channels available to The Presidency of the Republic. Calderon also speacks less, and mainly, les stupidities, opposite to Fox who is still saying stupidities everytime he opens his mouth), has captured the focus of the entire nation to "the enemy of the nation" -it is not terrorism, but crime.
Some of his declarations of today May the 5th

(link on spanish):
"The death of militars in Michoacán (the heros reported above) will not remain impune"
"The enemy of the nation is not invinsible"
"Today, the call that the motherland issues to mexicans is to form a single front agains the enemies of the nation (...) mexicans should act now with unity and patriotism to defeat insecurity and criminality".

Claderón has ordered combined forces operatives police/army regarding the heros killed: "The sacrifice of this patriots wont be in vain, in honour to their memory, their deaths wont be impune and we will double the offensive against the enemy, because the greatest the violence, the more energic most be the answert of mexican state".
Nice and cool. Tho all efforts have failed so far. And since GENERATIONS ago.
Calderón is squeezing the polical capital found on the ambush of May the 2nd, to the last drop.
A new era of "mexican patriotism" has begun.
Ernestina Ascención has been drop to the oblivion.
(Note: Since the beguining her name has been transmited as Ernestina Ascención. Her real name is Ernestina Ascencio.)

Observe the declarations (May the 1st) of Fidel Herrera Beltrán, gobernor of the State of Veracrúz, after a meeting with Soberanes (In spanis. I am rescuing ahead this note, translating two extracts):

"Herrera Beltrán accepted it was not adeacuate that members of the Justice Department of Veracrúz made public the conclusions and lines of investigation (...) the investigation has been enriched with scientific elements, with investigations of a judicial nature and with hipóthesis of people who were interrogated (...) The Department of Justice has notified the familiars of Ernestina all the investigation realized, and the family fo the indigenous woman signed of conformity to this investigations.
Regarding the change of opinion of the Department of Justice (changed from "multitudinal rape" to "death by anemia", and further, to some "parasitosis" and even "gastritis"), he said: there was a investigation goign on, on the
which some juridic events were performed (...) I know how to do my job. I am tranquil with what happened, there were no preassure (on his gobernment) and Ernestina is going to be able to rest in peace despite those who say are defending her but who in real are making a profit with her memory. The truth will be belived by those who have a clear conscience of what happened and by those who know how this research was realized. I am in the disposition to appear (before any judge) with all clarity and cleanness".
This was echoed by the specail fiscal, Juan Alatriste Gómez (in spanish), in charge of the case:

"there are no criminalistic clues of violation or homicide (...) the cause of her death mey be attibuted to a possible parasitosis (...) The Justice Department has rejected the testimonial evidence because they are not enough as to give credit to the criems of violation and homicide (...) (her death) is not imputable to external factors foreign the the physiology of the organism, regardless of the presence of anal tearings on the esfinter due to several factors".

The note I mentioned above follows now. Written by Miguel Angel Granados Chapa, perhaps the most respected journalist in this contry.

The sections on bold are the extracts I have translated right after the note:

02 de mayo de 2007.
Source.

Justicia no, astucia política sí.
Tarde en la noche del lunes, víspera de un día de asueto en que muchos medios impresos no circulan, el procurador veracruzano Emeterio López Márquez y el fiscal especial para el caso Ascensio Rosario citaron a
una peculiar conferencia de prensa, singular no sólo por la hora y por la fecha sino porque no permitieron preguntas a los reporteros. Y es que, de haberlo hecho, los convocantes, el procurador en particular, hubieran sufrido desfiguros por venir a decir algo diametralmente opuesto a lo sostenido durante dos meses. Dijeron que la anciana de 73 años no fue violada ni asesinada, que murió de parasitosis, que por lo
tanto no hay delito que perseguir ni presuntos responsables y el caso queda cerrado. Buenas noches, señores.

(first extract)
El gobernador Fidel Herrera había ya dejado saber que se sometía al criterio de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, que a su turno obró para hacer verdadero el diagnóstico presidencial sobre la muerte
de la señora Ernestina Ascensio Rosario: gastritis crónica no atendida. Se reunió el 24 de abril con el presidente de la CNDH, que apenas cinco días atrás había despotricado contra el procurador veracruzano, pues según su dicho éste manipulaba evidencias en su afán de sostener que hubo violación y asesinato. Dispuesto a sacrificar a su procurador, Herrera comenzó a hacer su parte en la reversa necesaria para acompasar su posición con la de la Presidencia y la CNDH: el viernes 27 en conversación radiofónica con Ciro Gómez Leyva exoneró a militares de responsabilidad en el caso. Dejó a su subordinado la humillación de recular y afirmar lo que se había negado.

El 27 de febrero la oficina de prensa del gobierno de Jalapa dijo en un comunicado fechado en Tetlaltzingo (sic) que “a muy temprana hora de este martes Fidel Herrera Beltrán se trasladó a esta comunidad, enclavada en la sierra de Zongolica para dar sus condolencias a los familiares de la señora Ernestina Ascensio Rosario, quien falleció a consecuencia de la agresión de que fue objeto por un presunto grupo de
militares en esta comunidad...aseguró que se actuará con energía y se aplicará todo el peso de la ley a los responsables del insensato crimenᾠ. Dijo también que “junto a la solidaridad expresa del pueblo y el gobierno de Veracruz está también la del glorioso Ejército mexicano ‘comprometido con nosotros a investigar con la ley, la jurisdicción del fuero común y la jurisdicción castrense, a quienes resulten responsablesᾠ. Y concluyó: “manifiesto a los familiares que este crimen no quedará impune".

Por supuesto que esas expresiones, emitidas tan próximas a la fecha del suceso principal, pudieron haber sido corregidas por la indagación ministerial. Pero ocurría lo contrario. El dos de marzo el procurador López Márquez, ya con los primeros avances sostuvo, como su jefe que “no quedará impune el delitoᾠ. Ante la descalificación y acusaciones de la CNDH, que a partir del 14 de marzo (luego de la declaración presidencial del 12 anterior) dedicó su esfuerzo no a investigar la muerte de la señora Ascensio Rosario sino la investigación de la Procuraduría, ésta avaló las labores de su personal. El 16 de abril dijo que “el ministerio público ha actuado con suma verticalidad y apego a derecho para una pronta y expedita procuración de justicia" en la pesquisa de un crimen..

Tres días después, el 19 de abril, el doctor José Luis Soberanes resumió sus acusaciones. Según el comunicado oficial, se refirió a la “falta de profesionalismo, manipulación de pruebas, errores y omisiones
de la Procuraduría general de justicia de Veracruzᾠ. En Jalapa, mientras se reunía con diputados a propósito del mismo asunto, el acusado López Márquez insistió en que “sí hubo violaciónᾠ y criticó a su vez al ombudsman: “Lamento que haya manifestado que no hay delito". Vía telefónica, en conversación con Carmen Aristegui al día siguiente retó a Soberanes a probar su acusación temeraria sobre la manipulación
de pruebas.

Pero en esos días su jefe ya andaba en arreglos para concluir lo contrario, y lo forzó a hacerlo anteayer lunes. Es tan difícil dar marcha atrás sin que se avergüence quien lo hace, por más curtido que esté en la disciplina burocrática sino también por las inevitables incongruencias que se manifiestan al sostener que no ocurrió lo que antes se insistió en que sí ocurrió, que debe hacerse un esfuerzo para disimular las inconsistencias de la nueva posición. De allí que el fiscal Alatriste dijera que pasa a segundo plano saber si la causa de muerte fue “mecánica o patológica", cuando que allí está una de las claves del asunto. Si fue mecánica es imposible sostener que la muerte “no es imputable a factores externos y ajenos a la fisiología de su organismoᾠ.

(second extract)
Contra la decisión ministerial de no ejercer acción penal, los familiares de la víctima podrían demandar amparo. Es difícil que lo hagan. El 10 y el 19 de abril recibieron la visita del subsecretario Abraham González Uyeda, responsable de los asuntos políticos en Gobernación. Por persuasión, intimidación o lo que usted guste, de esas conversaciones resultó una reticencia de los hijos de la señora muerta a continuar apareciendo en la escena pública. Hasta se les atribuye una carta (donde en primera persona plural aseguran no saber leer ni escribir) en que se niegan a seguir afectando la memoria de su madre. Es probable que esa sea su genuina posición, aunque también lo es que los haya inducido a ella un funcionario que no tiene papel formal en el caso.

Translation of the first extract pointed avobe in bold text:

The gobernor Fidel Herrera beltrán had already comunicated the will submit him self to the critery of the National Comision for the Human Rights (CNDH), that on its turn he worked to make true the presidential
diagnostic regarding the death of Ernestina Ascensio Rosario: Unatended cronic gastritis. He had a renunion on April 24th with the President of the CNDH (Soberanes), who only five days earlier had been ranting
agains the veracruzan procurator (head man of the Department of Justice), tho according to this one (Soberanes), he had been amnipulating the evidence in his eagerness to sustain there had been violation and murder. Willing to sacrifice his porcurator, Herrera (Gobernor of the State of Veracrúz) started to do his part on the appropiate gear to sintonize his position with that one of both the presidency (of the republic) and the CNDH: Friday 27th in radiophonic conversation with Ciro Gómes Leyva (another journalist with a radio program that gives and analises news) he exonerated the militars from any responsability on the case. And leaved to his subordinated the humilliation of to recoil, giving an affirmation to what had been
negated.

Translation of the second extract pointed avobe in bold text:

Against the descition of the Ministery (Department of Justice) of not to practize any penal action, the family of the victim could sue by the means of a shelter (legal g¿figure in the mexican system). It is difficult that they could do this. The 10th and 19th of April they got the visit of the subsecretary Abrahm González Uyeda, responsable of the political issues of the Gobernment. By persuasion, intimidation or whatever you like, from thsoe conversations resulted a reticence from the children of the death woman to continue aprearing on the public scene. They even have the credit for a letter (where by using the first person in plural they state they dont know to read or write) on the which they refuse to continue affecting the memory of their mother. It is probable that this is their genuine position, although it is as well (probable) that they were induced to it by a functionary who has no formal paper on the case.

 

[Art]

Ernestina Ascención

Soldiers accused of raping teenagers.
May 15th, 2007.
Source (in spanish).

Some soldiers presenting a bloody battle against narco have been accused of stopping four teenagers during several days during which they would had drugged, beated and raped them, denounced this Thursday the director [Soberanes] of the National Commission for the Human Rights (CNDH).
José Luis Soberanes said the commission he runs, which receives financial governmental support, has received testimonies of the young teenagers and their families about the abuses [they suffered] on the state of Michoacán, where 7 thousand soldiers have been facing drugs cartels and have been burning marihuana crops.
A medical examination confirmed that a young woman of 17 years old was raped, said Soberanes. The other tree girls, 16 and 17, are still undergoing examinations.
In a communication, the Secretary for the National Defense pointed out that he will totally cooperate, and that he will seek the maximum punishment for any soldier declared guilty of abuses.
Soberanes said he also received complains about soldiers torturing, beating and performing arbitrary arrests, this from the part of other 48 inhabitants of Michoacán, birth state of the President Calderón. He [Soberanes] pointed out that the evidence of the abuses will be presented to the army and to the department of justice of Michoacán, along with the demand to be taken into effect a combined investigation.
“We want to avoid the continuation of these behaviors, so the soldiers know they are being watchedᾠ, he said. “It will not be under [the pretext of] the fight against organized crime that laws and mainly human rights will be violated. It is possible to perform this fight against crime according to the lawᾠ.
The teenagers said that on May the 2nd they were transported to a military quarter with the head covered by a bag, and they were obliged to inhale a drug that produced sleepiness on them while the soldiers would beat and rape them. After 3 days they were released, under the threat that, if going to the authorities, their families would suffer.
According to other accusations, inhabitants of Michoacán said they were beaten with the butt of a rifle and put their heads on plastic bags or buckets of water, said Soberanes.
Calderón did send the troops to Michoacán on December as a part of a force of 24,000 soldiers and federal policemen moved to the entire country to fight the cartels of drugs.
During the ambush of May the 1st, supposed drug dealers (narcotraficantes) did ambush and killed five soldiers in the mountains of Michoacán, in one of the worst looses for the army in a whole decade.
Soberanes said it is not possible to immediately retire the army from the fight against drug dealers, but he pointed it [The Army] most take a role of support for the police.
“The soldiers are not trained to perform the functions of the police, and when they are set to perform this roles, they overdo. And so we see the cases I have made a reference toᾠ.

So May the 2nd, eh?
That May the 2nd was a very bussy day.
The cover-up, the sikening masquerade, is profiling again: Army men, soldiers, just most be heroes: Innocent heroes, to that.
One is not shure if the enemy is who they say it is, because it does seem that, the real enemy of the army, is the population.
It will be said, as has been said before, that the army is composed of the population: An army of the people for the people.
But in the army there is not only people.
What about familiars of drug dealers, and criminals, and murderers, and... well, soldiers.

 

[Art]

Ernestina Ascención

Paraphrasing this source.

Last May the 8th, the body of Adelaida Amayo Aguas (38 years old, with husband and children) was found in Zongolica, in a state of putrefaction, and with signs of violence.
Adelaida used to perform social work for the area, and was a member of the Regional Found for Support, asociation that dedicates resourses to support productive proyects that are initiative of social groups.
The course of the investigations is not known so far. The family has only received the confirmation from the local authorities that Adelaida “was rapedᾠ.
She had been disapeared for a week, and she died in a violent manner: Raped, strangled, beated.
The Bureau of “Radio Zongolicaᾠ, where she worked too, along with non-gobernmental organizations, reached the agreement of to legally support the family because of “the impoternce of the family to clarify the crime. They are practically alone on this caseᾠ, said the president of the Bureau of Radio Zongolica, Xocua Méndez, expressing his worriness for the violence suffered by women on the area, mentioning the case of Ernestina Ascencio: “There has been many, many more casesᾠ, he said.