One Humanity Award

Cacho’s book alleged that prominent businessmen and politicians were involved with child pornography and prostitution networks in Cancun. Defamation charges were brought against her by textile businessman José Camel Nacif Borge. According to Cacho, she was tortured during her detention. The charges against Cacho were dismissed on January 2, 2007 and the trial was discontinued. In April 2008, the Attorney General’s Office issued arrest warrants for five public servants from Puebla allegedly involved in Cacho’s illegal detention in 2005. These were said to include the former attorney general, a minister, a police commander and various criminal justice system officials, who allegedly falsified paperwork in order to facilitate Cacho’s arrest. To date, none of these men has been detained.

After further legal setbacks, Cacho was preparing to submit her case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). On 16 March 2009, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) concluded that Cacho had been tortured and her right to freedom of expression had been violated and it recommended that the governors of the Puebla and Quintana Roo states investigate the police officers responsible for her arrest and to provide Cacho with compensation.

Cacho has received numerous death threats. In May 2009 she reported being followed and watched by unknown individuals, some of them armed. On August 10, 2009, the IACHR granted Cacho, her family and the staff of the centre she founded for abused women cautionary protective measures and asked the Mexican government to take action to protect Cacho. As of January 2010, these measures had not yet been implemented.