(Article updated on Dec. 19 with comments from human rights expert Dr. Arturo Alvarado Mendoza)
A series of videos showing a group of police officers forcing two men to kiss and later fight each other has sparked outrage online. The violent and humiliating acts reportedly took place in Guanajuato, Mexico, and were carried out by at least six officers.
Highlights
- A series of videos expose how a group of police officers humiliated two men in Mexico.
- At least six officers were involved in the tortures, which included forcing the men to kiss and fight.
- Investigative journalist Gildo Garza posted the videos on X, tagging politicians and urging for accountability.
"'Kiss properly, or I'll kill you.' These are the humiliations inflicted by the municipal police in #Guanajuato, a state governed by @LibiaDennise," shared investigative journalist Gildo Garza on X (formerly known as Twitter).
"Governor, don't you think it's time to take action against your bad police officers? And you, @Samanthasmx, what measures will you take in response to these abuses now that these videos have come to light?"
Image credits: Ahmet Kurt / Unsplash
In one of the videos shared by Garza, the police officers can be seen slapping the two young men multiple times. Another officer, off-camera, can be heard laughing in the background.
Another clip shows the men, presumably detainees, being forced to kiss. When the visibly intimidated men obey the order, one officer yells, "Grab his buttocks!"
The men are threatened that if they don't "kiss properly," the officer will kill them. "Stick your tongue in!" another yells.
After the men touch each other, the policemen can be heard laughing in the background.
The men then wipe their mouths with their clothing, a display of the humiliation they suffered.
The violent incident reportedly took place in Guanajuato, Mexico
Image credits: GildoGarzaMx
A separate video shows the officers forcing them into a physical fight while continuing to ridicule them.
One of the young men, who initially resists, is kicked by an officer to force him to fight. "Come on, defend yourself!" a female cop can be heard saying. "You've already kissed. Come on," another officer orders.
When both men fall to the ground as a result of the fight, the policemen attack them, kicking them and hitting them with a board.
"Kiss properly or I'll kill you," one of the officers can be heard threatening the men
According to the local media outlet El Imparcial, the videos were taken in Celaya in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Garza said the violent incident took place in 2020 and named Christian Eduardo Morales Palomino as one of the officers in the videos.
"In the context of the complaints regarding the involvement of #Guanajuato police in acts of abuse, and in light of the lack of accountability assumed by the relevant authorities, a video from 2020 has been analyzed in which the commissioner of Region IV of the State Public Security Forces (FSPE), Christian Eduardo Morales Palomino, appears," the journalist wrote on social media.
"In said video, he is seen mocking two young men who are being beaten and humiliated by other officers."
The young men were forced to grab each other while the officers laughed at them
Image credits: GildoGarzaMx
Image credits: GildoGarzaMx
Image credits: GildoGarzaMx
In his post, Garza tagged Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo and Samantha Smith, the Municipal President of Guanajuato.
Since the videos were posted last Saturday (December 14), human rights organizations in Mexico and citizen groups have asked the Celaya Public Security Secretariat to be held accountable for the incident, El Imparcial reported.
According to the outlet, neither the municipality nor the police have released a statement regarding the videos. The identities of the young men also remain unknown.
From 2015 to 2020, at least 33,750 investigation files were opened for crimes related to police brutality throughout the country, according to an investigation titled Mexican Police: Brutality without Limits, which is part of the UNESCO Pilot Project for Investigative Journalism.
The investigation notes that only 1.1% of the crimes were prosecuted, and 0.5% were convicted—leaving 99.5% unpunished.
The videos were shared by investigative journalist Gildo Garza
Dr. Alvarado Mendoza has conducted several investigations on violence prevention, crime, justice, urban governance and security in Latin America. The human rights expert has been a consultant for international organizations like United Nations Women in Mexico.
The researcher added: "There is a high level of impunity regarding such abuse. However, it is possible to file complaints with internal oversight units or the internal control bodies of police institutions.
"Nevertheless, filing a complaint with human rights commissions tends to be more effective," he explained.
Bored Panda has contacted Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo and Samantha Smith for comment.