Both governments assumed combative stances following a ruling in a Mexican court last week that a French woman, Florence Cassez, will spend the next 60 years in a Mexican jail.
Cassez was arrested in December 2005 along with her boyfriend Israel Vallarta, the leader of a notorious kidnapping gang.
The day after their actual arrest, Mexican anti-gang police re-enacted the arrest with live media coverage. The Mexican government later admitted to the restaging and blamed the media for requesting it.
Cassez and Vallarta say she is innocent, but testimony from hostages freed after their arrest implicates Cassez as part of the gang.
In 2008, Cassez was sentenced to 98 years in prison; she appealed and the sentence was reduced to 60 years in early 2009. The final verdict in the appeal case last week that reaffirmed the 60-year sentence, triggered strong reactions from French officials.
French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie used an exceptionally harsh tone to condemn the verdict calling it a “denial of justice” and saying that Mexico’s decision would negatively impact bilateral relations. Alliot-Marie also announced she would boycott all Year of Mexico celebrations in protest.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy went one step farther on Feb. 14 when he announced that he would dedicate the Year of Mexico to Cassez.
Mexico immediately reacted by canceling its participation in the events.
In a statement, the Mexican Embassy in France said it was “really surprising that a head of state could make a foreign policy decision that would hurt the relationship between the two governments and people, for someone who has been condemned for particularly bad deeds.”
The embassy said that the Year of Mexico celebrations, which were designed to mark the friendship between the two countries, are being misused.
“Using all the Year of Mexico activities in France to mention Florence Cassez, as President Sarkozy has done, is in opposition with the joint statement made by France and Mexico in September 2010. The government of Mexico therefore considers that the conditions are not there for the Year of Mexico in France to happen in an appropriate way.”
Sarkozy is also being criticized by members of his own political camp for what is perceived as a tough and not thought-out stance. Christian Vanneste, a member of Parliament who supports Cassez, asked Sarkozy to show more respect for Mexico and to stop “completely useless humiliations.”
In an interview with French based BFM television, Vanneste said the president’s attitude was counterproductive and “could only produce opposite effects.”
France’s strong condemnation of Mexico has given rise to speculation that the government is using the case to show itself to be a defender of human rights. Alliot-Marie’s reputation suffered after receiving heavy criticism for being lenient with or even friendly with the former Tunisian regime, and Sarkozy is gearing up for a 2012 presidential campaign.
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