Feminist collectives have denounced the possible presence of plainclothes investigation agents during the march called for this March 8th in Tepic, who could attend without visible identification and represent surveillance or intimidation during a social protest.
This concern arose from the statements, at a press conference, by the Attorney General of Nayarit, Elvia Ludmila Heredia Verdugo, who confirmed that personnel from the Criminal Investigation Agency will attend the mobilization called within the framework of International Women's Day.
The Attorney General said that the state governor, Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero, will “allow” freedom of expression, but at the request of a communicator, they will go to prevent other people from being attacked, although the preventive activity corresponds to the area of the state and municipal Public Security Secretariat.
“In response to a colleague's request, we will have a presence at the march, with the investigation agency, women in plain clothes, solely to prevent attacks on those who are transmitting, there will be no arrests for vandalism or damages because it is a federal instruction,” declared the official.
Following these statements, the organizations pointed out that the presence of agents without identification as public servants can be interpreted as a mechanism for surveillance or infiltration during a citizen mobilization.
In a statement, they mentioned that human rights specialists have warned that security operations in public demonstrations must comply with the principles of legality and transparency. They also warned that the authorities in charge of these tasks must be fully identifiable to guarantee accountability and prevent possible abuses.
Likewise, they indicated that the announcement occurs in a context of tensions between state authorities and various social sectors that have resorted to public protest to express their demands.
Among the cases mentioned is the summons for political analyst Ulises Rodríguez to appear before the State Attorney General's Office of Nayarit, without the legal reason for the procedure having been publicly reported to date. They also mentioned criminal processes against activists such as Isaac Cárdenas, known as “Chakin”, and Edgar Iván “N”, as well as against members of the Sole Union of State and Municipal Workers (SUTSEM), who face accusations of obstruction of communication routes after labor protests.
To this, they recalled, are added the complaints from collectives of searching families that reported the finding of bone remains and abandoned files to the elements inside the facilities of the State Prosecutor's Office. All of this, they pointed out, has increased the questioning towards the institution in charge of dispensing justice in the entity.
Faced with this panorama, the organizations stressed that any attempt at covert surveillance during the 8M mobilization could be interpreted as a way of criminalizing the feminist movement.
They insisted that historically, organized women have resorted to public protest to denounce violence against them and demand justice in cases of aggression, disappearances, and femicides, of which the authorities have been remiss.
Finally, they recalled that the right to free assembly and social protest is protected by the Mexican Constitution and by international human rights instruments, so the authorities have the obligation to guarantee its exercise without intimidation or conditioning.
