Arturo Chávez

Arturo Chávez Chávez
Chávez testifying before the Mexican Senate on 21 September 2009
Attorney General (Mexico)
In office 24 September 2009[1] – 31 March 2011[2]
President	Felipe Calderón
Preceded by	Eduardo Medina Mora
Succeeded by	Marisela Morales
Attorney General of Chihuahua
In office 1996 – 1998[3]
Governor	Francisco Barrio
Personal details
Born	September 4, 1960 (1960-09-04) (age 51) Mexico
Nationality	Mexican
Political party	National Action Party[4]
Alma mater	Monterrey Institute of Technology, Chihuahua Campus[5]
Occupation	Lawyer

Arturo Chávez Chávez (born September 4, 1960) is a Mexican prosecutor who served as Attorney General of Mexico in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón from 24 September 2009^[1] until 31 March 2011.^[2] He previously served as Attorney General of Chihuahua during the governorship of Francisco Barrio.^[5]

He has also worked as chief advisor to former Senator Diego Fernández de Cevallos, as Undersecretary of Legal Affairs and Human Rights at the Secretariat of the Interior and as former envoy of the secretariat during the 2006 Oaxaca protests.^[5]

Chávez as Attorney General

His nomination to the post of Attorney General by President Felipe Calderón on 7 September 2009 was received with harsh criticism from some human rights activists and relatives of the victims of the female homicides in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, who, according to William Booth of the Washington Post, claim he did little during his years as Attorney General of the state to solve the killings of hundreds of women in the 1990s.^[6]

Chávez was required by law to testify before the Senate before assuming office. According to Ken Ellingwood of the Los Angeles Times, his party held a numerical advantage in the 128-seat legislative chamber but lacked a clear majority, so it needed to reach for votes across the aisle.^[4] During the session, Chávez expressed his opposition to the death penalty, though the Ecologist Green Party had strongly campaigned for its implementation^[7]—and cannabis legalization,^[8] which the Senate as a whole had recently voted to decriminalize in small amounts for personal use.^[9] In the end, his nomination was confirmed with 75 votes in favor, 26 against (mostly from the political left), and one abstention.^[10] However, his appointment was criticised by the United States in a leaked diplomatic cable as "unexpected and inexplicable".^[11]

Chávez resigned on 31 March 2011 after 18 months as Attorney General, citing personal reasons, three weeks after the U.S. cable was made public. President Calderón described Chávez's work in office as having "been fundamental to Mexico's efforts to establish rule of law", and said Chávez was the reason many cartel leaders had now faced justice.^[11] Calderón has appointed Marisela Morales, head of the organized crime department in the Office of the General Prosecutor, as Chávez's successor.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ellingwood, Ken (2009-09-25). "Mexico Senate confirms Arturo Chavez Chavez as attorney general". Mexico City: Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-senate25-2009sep25,0,1646625.story. Retrieved 2009-09-25. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Wilkinson, Tracy (March 31, 2011). "Calderon replaces Mexico attorney general". The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-attorney-general-20110401,0,4593286.story. Retrieved April 1, 2011. 
3. ^ Watson, Julie (2009-09-09). "With new AG, Mexico tries to revamp drug war". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g1kxKdVNumtUaRoAZB_xf1XzxDfgD9AJC7Q00. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Ellingwood, Ken (2009-09-21). "Mexico attorney general choice comes under fire". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-attorney22-2009sep22,0,3625295.story. Retrieved 2009-09-21. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} "Perfil: Arturo Chávez Chávez" (in Spanish). El Universal. 2009-09-07. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/624906.html. Retrieved 2009-09-07. 
6. ^ Booth, William (2009-09-09). "Calderón Draws Fire Over Nominee for Attorney General". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/08/AR2009090803702.html?hpid=sec-world. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
7. ^ Gibbs, Stephen (2009-02-04). "Death penalty debate grows in Mexico". Mexico City: BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7866811.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-25. 
8. ^ Gómez, Ricardo (2009-09-21). "Arturo Chávez rechaza legalización de la mariguana" (in Spanish). El Universal. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/627932.html. Retrieved 2009-09-21. 
9. ^ "Mexico Senate OKs bill to legalize drug possesion [sic]". Mexico City: Reuters. 2009-04-28. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN28349522. Retrieved 2009-09-25. 
10. ^ Gutiérrez, Miguel Ángel; Emmott, Robin; Wilson, Chris (2009-09-24). "Mexican Senate OKs divisive prosecutor pick". Mexico City: Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN24435305. Retrieved 2009-09-25. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Attorney General Arturo Chavez resigns". BBC News Online. 2011-03-31. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12929236. Retrieved 2011-04-02. 

Persondata
Name	Chavez, Arturo
Alternative names	Chávez Chávez, Arturo (Spanish)
Short description	Attorney General of Mexico
Date of birth	4 September 1960
Place of birth	Mexico
Date of death
Place of death