Report: Police Lied About Massacre

State officials tried to hide their involvement in a recent massacre of 45 peasants in southern Mexico by altering evidence and testimony, according to excerpts of a government report.

The report, compiled by the National Human Rights Commission was sent to the Chiapas state government and federal prosecutors on Friday. It concludes that officials fashioned testimony given to investigators to avoid being implicated in the massacre in the village of Acteal in Chiapas state on Dec. 22.

The report also indicates that state police probably knew the attack was happening, either through previous warnings or by hearing gunshots from the mountain hamlet.

Had they acted, police officials could have averted the massacre - which apparently targeted the Indians of Acteal because they had no weapons, the report said.

The state police office “altered a document containing relevant information,” according to the report.