Man executed in Texas despite international opposition

By Katie Bacharach

Edgar Tamayo, a Mexican citizen, has been executed in Texas despite a recent statement by Mexico’s foreign ministry that going ahead with the execution would be a "clear violation" of the United States’ international obligations, according to the LA Times and Reuters

Tamayo was convicted of fatally shooting a Houston police officer in 1994. However, Tamayo was never informed of his right to diplomatic assistance, enshrined in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. In 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that the United States had violated the Vienna Convention for the case of 51 Mexicans, including Tamayo, who had been sentenced to the death penalty without being informed of their rights to consular assistance. The court ordered the United States to reconsider the convictions. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had also urged Texas to reconsider the execution because it could impact the way American citizens are treated abroad.

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