VZCZCXRO3430
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #1452 1342214
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 132214Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1848
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1849
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1027
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0229
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS MEXICO 001452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UN MX
SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE CONFIRMS ITS REPRESENTATIVE 
IS LEAVING MEXICO 
 
¶1. After weeks of rumors circulating about his imminent 
departure, Amerigo Incalcaterra, the Representative of the 
Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights officially 
announced plans to leave Mexico.  Liliana Valina, Deputy 
Representative at the UN High Commission told poloff May 9 
that the UN Headquarters in Geneva had asked Incalcaterra to 
depart but she provided no information about an onward 
assignment or his replacement.  She initially signaled some 
reluctance to discuss Incalcaterra's departure speaking in 
generalities about the "challenges" facing the Commission in 
carrying out its human rights mandate in Mexico.  Without 
going into details, Valina suggested "restrictions" on his 
work and GOM "pressure" had contributed significantly to the 
UN decision to have Incalcaterra depart Mexico.  He is 
expected to leave May 23; Valina will fill in until the 
office in Geneva appoints the next Representative. 
 
¶2.  Members of the NGO community assume that Incalcaterra is 
leaving as a result of a falling out with the GOM.  Juan 
Artola from the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM), alleged to Poloff, that at the outset of his tenure 
Incalcaterra was urged not to speak publicly on sensitive 
issues such as gender-related killings in Ciudad Juarez, 
violence against journalists or military counter-crime 
operations, and that he had chafed under the restrictions. 
Poloff could not verify this assertion. Incalcaterra, indeed 
had maintained a relatively low profile here, concentrating 
on developing programs in women's issues and indigenous 
rights. Valina cited frustrations the High Commission's 
office has experienced working with the GOM bureaucracy to 
get such programs up and running, however.  She indicated 
that the office's relationship with the government 
deteriorated after the high profile visit here by UN High 
Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour in February. 
Arbour issued a public statement conveying concern about the 
military's involvement in the fight against organized crime 
and called for civilian courts to assume jurisdiction over 
acts committed by the military in the course of its law 
enforcement work. No doubt, Incalcaterra informed her 
statement. 
 
¶3. Fermin Romero Vasquez, the Director of the Office of the 
General Assembly and International Organizations at Mexico's 
Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) said his office had not 
received official information on Incalcaterra's departure 
from the UN High Commission and could not provide a comment 
based on unofficial information. 
 
¶4. Comment:  We have no reason to question that Incalcaterra 
faced a certain amount of pressure in Mexico.  At the same 
time, it does not appear the GOM has formally forced 
Incalcaterra to leave.  A combination of frustration and 
personal reasons (Poloff had been told by Commission staff on 
several occasions that Incalcaterra had been out of the 
country to attend to unspecified health concerns.) may have 
contributed to his decision to leave.  Moreover, he had 
already been assigned to Mexico for three years. On the 
positive side, there is no evidence Mexico seeks to close the 
office or objects to the UNCHR identifying a replacement for 
Incalcaterra. 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American 
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
GARZA