The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) blamed both authorities and protesters Thursday for "excesses" during months of unrest last year in Oaxaca City, and urged the government to investigate its finding that federal police tortured detainees.In its final report on the unrest in the southern colonial city, the independent governmental commission found that 12 people were killed in the conflict, mostly protesters shot by gunmen.
The report also slammed the federal government for not intervening sooner after state authorities were overwhelmed.
What began as a teachers´ strike in May 2006 quickly turned into a broader protest in which a coalition of leftist groups occupied the city center for nearly five months to demand the ouster of the Oaxaca state governor.
Then-President Vicente Fox finally sent federal troops to evict protesters from the city center in late October.
On Thursday, CNDH President José Luis Soberanes said Fox´s administration had "unjustifiably delayed, for more than a month and a half, in complying with its constitutional duty to help restore order and peace in Oaxaca."
While the CNDH has the power only to make recommendations, Soberanes said he hopes President Calderón will adopt its findings and investigate rights violations, including complaints that officers physically tortured at least 13 people being transported to prison.
Soberanes did not offer further details.
In all, the CNDH received 1,352 complaints of rights violations and found hundreds of them justified, mainly for excessive use of force or improper treatment of suspects by local and federal police.
But the report also stated that "it is important to note that, without exception, both sides in the confrontation committed excesses. Both the demonstrators and public servants committed aggression."
Soberanes said the protesters, who blockaded the city and hijacked and burned vehicles, had mistreated the people of Oaxaca City.
The report found that only one death was directly attributed to the police raid that ended the blockades. However, 11 other deaths were closely related - many of them protest supporters killed by unidentified gunmen, as well as one protest opponent slashed to death.
The report recommended constitutional changes to oblige the government to come to the aid of local authorities more quickly, and it urged the Army to end the practice of detaining civilians incommunicado at military bases.
