Syndic Jorge Méndez and Councilman Avelino Bartolo, accused of the crime of gender-based political violence against Dolores Luciana Valades, president of Santiago Choápam, were released despite the fact that during the constitutional hearing, a judge ordered them to stand trial.
Hours earlier, a group of their supporters blocked one of the city’s main intersections and protested outside the government palace to pressure the authorities.
Images circulated on social media show the moment they were handed over to their supporters, who received them with applause while shouting, “The united people will never be defeated!” and “We did it!”
As a precautionary measure, the Oaxaca State Attorney General’s Office (FGEO) requested the temporary suspension of their duties, a measure that was granted. The syndic and councilman are accused of discrediting, threatening, intimidating, and forcing the mayor to sign her resignation.
Iván García López, head of the FEDE, said that between May and June of this year, he received complaints from the mayor, who even had to be transferred to a shelter due to the risk identified. The arrest warrant against the accused was issued in August and executed last Wednesday.
He said that those accused have the right to defend themselves and present whatever evidence is necessary to refute the accusations against them. In this regard, he emphasized that the prosecutor’s office is acting in accordance with the principles of legality and that the Secretariat of Government would determine the appropriate course of action regarding the social situation.
Since the classification of gender-based political violence as a crime, the FEDE has opened 170 investigation files. García López specified that since his appointment in 2024 to date, 16 cases have resulted in the accused being ordered to stand trial, while 31 have been brought before the courts, meaning that the accused were brought before a judge.
Article 401 Bis of the Criminal Code of the State of Oaxaca establishes a penalty of two to six years in prison and a fine of seven thousand to fifteen thousand pesos for this crime.
It considers gender-based political violence to be any action or omission that causes physical, psychological, economic, or sexual harm against one or more women and/or their families, in order to restrict, suspend, or prevent the exercise of their political and electoral rights, or to induce or force them to make decisions of the same nature against their will.
Source: lasillarota
