STATEMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CONAPRED

June 22, 2020

The Coalition of LGBTTTI Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean working within the framework of the OAS, made up of the undersigned organizations, reject the statements made by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to the National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination (CONAPRED).

The National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination CONAPRED, is the leading institution for promoting policies and measures to contribute to cultural and social development, to advance social inclusion and to guarantee the right to equality, which is the first of the fundamental rights in the Mexican Federal Constitution.

CONAPRED has been a key institution for the advancement and guarantee of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations, including LGBTTTI populations. From this Coalition we have seen its work on different occasions such as:

·    During the 47th General Assembly of the OAS held in Cancun, Quintana Roo, in 2017, ensuring a space free of discrimination for organized civil society.

·    With the preparation of the Survey on  Discrimination  on the Grounds  of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity ENDOSIG 2018.

·    By promoting the signing and ratification of the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance in 2019 and 2020.

Requesting the resignation of its head and affirming the possible disappearance of this institution are actions that represent a very serious setback to the advancement of our rights and it is for this reason that from this Coalition we pronounce ourselves against it and make a strong call to stop the attacks against it, to reinforce its valuable and necessary mission and, above all, to strengthen its work with a greater budgetary allocation.

The National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination deals with around six thousand complaints a year from people who believe they have been discriminated against, promotes dialogue between different sectors of our society, both nationally and internationally, and has been key in generating reliable information that has provided accurate data on discrimination in Mexico.

With a clear agenda and tangible results, despite a small budget and limited staff, CONAPRED, today more than ever, needs to strengthen its independence and capacity for action. We reiterate our commitment to this institution and request that its importance be reassessed.

To disregard the work of the National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination (CONAPRED) is to disregard the fight for the advancement of human rights and the work of organized civil society, which in 2003 led to the issuance of the Federal Law for the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination, which gave rise to this Council.

The  following  organizations  signed  on  as  part  of  the  LGBTTTI  Coalition of Latin American and Caribbean organizations working within the framework of the OAS:

 1.  Argentina ‐ AKAHATÁ Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Género

2.  Argentina ‐ ATTTA (RedLACTrans)

3.  Belize ‐ TIA Belize (RedLACTrans)

4.  Belize ‐ United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM)

5.  Bolivia ‐ Red Nacional de Mujeres Trans en Bolivia (REDTREBOL) (RedLACTrans)

6.  Bolivia ‐ Fundación Diversencia

7.  Brasil ‐ Articulação Política das Juventudes Negras

8.  Brasil ‐ Grupo Ativista de Travestis, Transexuais e Amig@s (GATTA)

9.  Brasil ‐ Grupo Esperança
10. Brasil ‐ Liga Brasileira de Lesbicas (LBL)

   11.  Brasil ‐ Rede Nacional de Negr@s e Afros LGBTTT (Rede‐Afros‐LGBTTT)

   12.  Canada* ‐ *The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network – Canada (*Associate Member*)

   13.  Chile ‐ Asociación OTD Organizando Trans Diversidades

   14.  Chile ‐ Corporación Chilena de Personas Trans Amanda Jofré (RedLACTrans)

   15.  Colombia ‐ Asociación Lideres en Acción

   16.  Colombia – Caribe Afirmativo

   17.  Colombia ‐ Colombia Diversa

   18.  Colombia ‐ Fundación Santamaría

   19.  Colombia ‐ Red Comunitaria Trans (RedLACTrans)

20.  Costa Rica ‐ Mulabi ‐ Espacio Latinoamericano de Sexualidades y Derechos

21.  Costa Rica ‐ TRANSVIDA (RedLACTrans)

22.  Costa Rica – Asociación Ciudadana Acceder

23.  Dominica ‐ Dominica Chapter of the Caribbean HIV and AIDS Partnership (DomCHAP)

24.  Ecuador ‐ Asociación Alfil (RedLACTrans)

25.  Ecuador ‐ Taller de Comunicación Mujer

26.  El Salvador ‐ Asociación Aspidh Arcoiris (RedLACTrans)

27.  Grenada ‐ Grenada Chapter of the Caribbean HIV and AIDS Partnership (GrenCHAP)

28.  Guatemala ‐ Organización Trans Reinas de la Noche (OTRANS) (RedLACTrans)

29.  Guyana ‐ Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD)

30.  Honduras – Asociación para una Vida Mejor (APUVIMEH)

31.  Honduras ‐ Colectivo Unidad Color Rosa (RedLACTrans)

32.  Jamaica ‐ Equality for All Foundation (J‐FLAG)

33.  México ‐ Letra S SIDA, Cultura y Vida Cotidiana

34.  México ‐ Red Mexicana de Mujeres Trans (RedLACTrans)

35.  México ‐ Fundación Arcoíris por el Respeto a la Diversidad Sexual A.C.

36.  México – Las Reinas Chulas, Cabaret y Derechos Humanos, A.C

37.  Nicaragua ‐ Red Nicaragüense de Activistas Trans (REDTRANS)

38.  Nicaragua ‐ ODETRANS (RedLACTrans)

39.  Panamá ‐ Asociación Panameña de Personas Trans (RedLACTrans)

40.  Panamá – Fundación Iguales

41.  Paraguay ‐ Aireana Grupo por los Derechos de las Lesbianas

42.  Paraguay ‐ Asociación Panambi (RedLACTrans)

43.  Paraguay ‐ Asociación Escalando

44.  Perú ‐ Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (PROMSEX)

45.  Perú ‐ Instituto Runa de Desarrollo y Estudios sobre Género

46.  Perú – Trans Organización Feminista por los Derechos Humanos (RedLACTrans)

47.  Regional ‐ Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CARIFLAGS)

48.  Regional ‐ Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Personas Trans (REDLACTRANS)

49.  Red de Trabajadoras Sexuales de Latinoamérica y el Caribe (RedTraSex) 

50.  Regional ‐ Synergía – Iniciativas por los Derechos Humanos

51.  República Dominicana ‐ Comunidad de Trans Travesti y Trabajadoras Sexuales Dominicana COTRAVETD (RedLACTrans)

52.  República Dominicana – Diversidad Dominicana

53.  St. Lucia ‐ United & Strong Inc.

54.  Sub-Regional ‐ Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE)

55.  Suriname ‐ Women's Way

56.  The Bahamas ‐ The D’ Marco Organization (RedLACTrans)

57.  Trinidad and Tobago ‐ CAISO

58.  Uruguay ‐ Asociación Trans del Uruguay (ATRU)

59.  Uruguay ‐ Colectivo Ovejas Negras

60.  Venezuela ‐ Venezuela Diversa Asociación Civil

61.  Venezuela ‐ Diversidad e Igualdad a Través de la Ley (DIVERLEX)