Launching the independent lawyers’ network in Mexico
Abogados partecipantes al evento
The International Alliance of Inhabitants launched a proposal for an Independent Lawyers’ Network in defence of the right to housing and against evictions. The launch took place on the occasion of the first legal seminar organised by El Barzón, Movimiento Jurídico Nacional, headed by its representative, lawyer Rebeca Estrada Aguilar.
The event was held on 4 December 2009 in the Mexico City Chamber of Deputies, with many lawyers and civil society representatives present.
The legal seminar, with the title “Playing at the Supreme Court”, was made up of two panels. Presenters included the lawyers Guillermina Correa González and Braulio Guevara Ontiveros from El Barzón; Gustavo Alejandro Cruz, Director of the Study of Law at the Universidad Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, lawyer Eduardo José Torres Maldonado from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and Maura Benegiamo, a volunteer with the International Alliance of Inhabitants in Mexico.
Los panelistas del Evento
The panellists discussed the problem of non-performing mortgage loans and the role the banks play in the housing problem in Mexico, and reviewed the legal measures taken to help the debtors, evaluating the progress achieved in this respect.
The second panel, chaired by Maura Benegiamo, dealt with the judicial review (amparo ) defence against evictions and human rights’ violations. An open discussion between the panellists and members of the audience considered the knowledge and legal strategies needed to challenge evictions at national and international levels, with particular emphasis on the role of international organisations.
Los participantes al Evento
At the end of the event Cristina Almazán, representative of the Alliance in Mexico, announced the proposal to form an international network of lawyers in support of the housing rights movement. Her proposal was received enthusiastically by the lawyers attending the event. It was also announced that a Latin American regional meeting would be held to address the problem of non-performing mortgage loans transnationally, to confront the problems involved and coordinate responses to the issue.
The Volunteer translator for housing rights without frontiers of IAI who has collaborated on the translation of this text was: