Letter to the Editor, LA Times (unpublished)

To the Editor:

I was pleased to see your coverage of the Mexican Supreme Court's upcoming decision on the "Ley Televisa," which would be disastrous for free speech and consolidate media monopolies ("Court to Decide Battle of Airwaves in Mexico," May 12). It is important to remember that these are not merely abstract, constitutional issues but have devastating effects on people's lives. May 3 marked the one-year anniversary of the Mexican government's violent repression in the town of San Salvador Atenco, where 3500 federal police beat, raped, and arrested hundreds of men and women, murdering a 14-year old boy and a university student. TV Azteca and Televisa played a leading role not in covering the violence, but in actively calling for it -- squashing what little hope we continue to hold for objectivity. We can only hope the Court strikes down this law in the interest of not only free speech, but also human rights.

Sincerely,
Daniel Nemser