throwing him to the ground. Fearful, he pretended to be unconscious and his
head began to bleed.” In this regard, “Jaime had to receive emergency medical
assistance and he had to pay the expenses, because social security is not
covered for the beneficiaries. The individuals got out of the vehicle and observed
him carefully, and when they saw that he was not moving, they left”;
g) On August 28, 2011, according to the testimony of a neighbor, Jaime Alvarado’s
house was searched by federal police. Apparently they did not steal anything, but
the house was turned upside down and a threatening note was found.7 As a
result, Jaime’s wife, Sandra Luz Rueda (beneficiary since May 15, 2011), had a
nervous breakdown that required medical attention and the family had to cover
these expenses also;
h) As a result of the facts described above, “the families were forced to flee to
safeguard their life and integrity, abandoning the place where they lived, which
meant that they lost their main source of satisfying their basic needs, some
families had to start paying rent, and many of the children changed school”;
i)
On November 7, 2012, at around 11 a.m., a truck identified with the logo of the
State Police, occupied by two agents, went to the home of Patricia Reyes Rueda,
(beneficiary since November 26, 2010, and mother of Rocío Irene Alvarado
Reyes), accompanied by debt collector from a hardware store, in order to require
payment of 5,800 pesos that Mrs. Reyes owed that business. The police agents
got out of the vehicle armed with rifles and, with an intimidating attitude,
demanded payment of the debt and asked her: “who depends on you for
support?” to which she responded: “my children and my granddaughter.” Then,
one police officer told her, “don’t you know that I can take your children away
from you and arrest you and take you to Ciudad Juárez because you are
committing the offense of breach of trust”; he then demanded the payment,
which he said he would pick up at 3.30 p.m. In response to this situation, the
representatives of the beneficiaries sent a brief to the Prosecutor General of the
state of Chihuahua demanding “an immediate response and the cessation of acts
of intimidation and extortion towards Mrs. Reyes,” and
j)
Regarding the above incidents, the representatives indicated that the “State has
not commented on the investigations into the grave threats, aggression and
harassment to which the next of kin who are beneficiaries have been subjected.”
18.
For its part, in its report of October 7, 2011, the State indicated that the head of
FEVIMTRA had concluded that the threats and harassment of August 28 and 29, 2011, were
unrelated to the criminal investigation being conducted by the Special Prosecutor’s Office;
nevertheless, preliminary inquiry AP/PGR/CHIH/JUA/2758/2011 had been opened into the
recent threats and aggression alleged by the beneficiaries. The Court notes that in its
subsequent reports the State made no mention of the situation of risk alleged by the
representatives.
19.
Finally, the Commission expressed its concern owing to the “persistence of the
situation of extreme gravity and urgency and the need to avoid irreparable damage to the
Alvarado family.” In addition, it noted that this “threat [of August 28, 2011,] occurred
7
The note found in the house contained the following message: “because we wanted to break you and you
were not there; but we have you, asshole, and we’re going to fuck you and your fucking family. Yours truly, you
know who.”
8