E/CN.4/1991/17 page 35 in this case made by the Mexican National Human Rights Commission on 24 September 1990. On 5 October 1990, the Government sent the Special Rapporteur information provided by the competent authorities of the Government of the Mexican State of Veracruz on the other cases referred to in his letter of 5 June 1990. The Government reported that: "The arrests of Mr. Socimo Centeno Hernandez, Mr. Guilebaldo Centeno, Mr. Gonzalo Ibarra and Mr. Quintil Quintero were made on the basis of well-founded charges and at no time were their individual guarantees under articles 19 and 20 of the Political Constitution of the Republic violated". 113. On 15 October 1990, the Special Rapporteur sent a letter to the Government of Mexico transmitting complaints that torture and ill-treatment of detainees were regularly practised to obtain confessions and information, despite the legislation which prohibits torture and regards it as a punishable offence. Apparently, torture is used mainly by members of the Judicial Police and "informers" who help them unofficially. It was stated that these persons enjoy impunity in their work even though these practices are unlawful. Other apparent incentives for the use of torture are that no defence counsel is present during the first 72 hours of detention and the fact that confessions are regarded as valuable evidence. The methods of torture allegedly used were severe beatings, electric shocks, immersion in water, death threats, squirting carbonated water up the nose, pistol whipping, burns, plastic bags over the head and other forms of physical and psychological torture. Reference was made to the following cases of alleged torture resulting in death: (a) Prado Meno died on 15 September 1989 in the cells of the State Judicial Police, reportedly as a result of torture inflicted by police officers; (b) Emiliano Olivas Madrigal was allegedly tortured and finally killed by State and Federal Judicial Police on 19 October 1989 in a hotel in Guadalupe y Calvo. The autopsy revealed many injuries caused by torture, which was determined to have been the cause of death; (c) Ubaldo Santillan Aguilar, who was arrested without a warrant on 23 January 1990 in Aguascalientes, was first taken to the Prosecutor's Office and later transferred to a police detention centre. During the interrogation, he was reportedly tortured by three State Judicial Police officers who held his head under water and squirted carbonated water up his nose several times. Santillan died the same day, reportedly as a result of torture. 114. In addition to the above, the following cases of alleged torture were communicated: (a) Irma Veronica Guerra and Manuel Huerta Lopez were allegedly tortured by Federal Judicial Police officers on 21 November 1989 in Chihuahua. The woman, who was pregnant, filed official complaints with the Attorney-General's Office; (b) Felipe Edgardo Canseco Ruiz, member of the PROCUP Party, was arrested on 13 June 1990 in Mexico City by several policemen in plain clothing. He was reportedly tortured during the five days of interrogation