That's it, indeed. And Bernal knows this full well because - as we said - he was the lead legal advisor to Mexico when they challenged the US at the ICJ.
It's known as the Avena Case - where in 2004, Mexico said that the US had broken international law by not notifying the Mexican Embassy when Mexican citizens were arrested and imprisoned for crimes in the United States.
52 of these Mexicans were sentenced to death in Texas - again without any call to the Embassy. So Mexico took it to the ICJ - and they won, but listen to what happened after that:...
Carlos Bernal, Professor of International Law - ITAM
"Mexico claimed against the United States to repair the damage of these Mexicans that are all in jail, all condemned to death penalty. We went to the court, it was 62-64 - it was a long case, like all of them and Mexico won. The court condemned the United States for violation of international law. The court gave Mexico the relief which the United States has only partially complied with. It has already executed 3 of those people condemned and the rest - I hope the United States would understand international law that they don't frequently and they will not condemned these people to death."
Reporter
"Would you say the United States has been acting in a way to ignore or flout the ruling of the ICJ?"
Carlos Bernal, Professor of International Law - ITAM
"That's a very good question. Actually, it was Mrs. Hilary Clinton that supported very much the Mexican claimed and say yes we have to comply with this. However, in the state of Texas they think they are republic independent from the world and so it's the attorney general, the governors and all that, that have no comply with the judgement."
The media's trip to Mexico City was arranged by the US Embassy in Belize.
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