Indigenous Community Police Look Back, Look Forward

FNS News: Twenty years ago, a revolution in policing and community justice broke out in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.  Fed up with constant robberies and sexual assaults, Indigenous communities in the Costa Rica and La Montana regions of Guerrero formed armed community police forces that grew into the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities (CRAC).

Taking root in scores of Mixtec, Nahua and other communities, the CRAC was widely credited with significantly curbing criminal activities. Concomitant with a volunteer policing concept, the CRAC implemented a popular justice system of reeducation and community work.

Possible Army Involvement in Disappearances of 7 in Mexico, Secretariat Says

Latin American Herald Tribune: Officials have found signs that soldiers may have played a role in the disappearance of seven people in Zacatecas, a state in north-central Mexico, earlier this month, the Defense Secretariat said.

“With regard to the events related to the disappearance of seven people on July 7, 2015, in Calera, Zacatecas, indications have been found of the likely involvement of military personnel,” the secretariat said in a statement. Read more. 

Mexican General's Murder Raises New Questions over Narco Ties

InSight Crime: "Retired Mexican General Mario Acosta Chaparro, accused of ties to the Juarez Cartel, was murdered in Mexico City, raising suspicions over his relationship with the criminal underworld.

Acosta (pictured) was shot three times at a garage in Mexico City on April 20. According to eyewitnesses, the ex-general was murdered by a lone gunman who then fled the scene on a motorcycle, reports the LA TImes.

Acosta was arrested in 2000, and sentenced to 16 years in prison two years later for aiding and protecting former Juarez Cartel leader Amado Carillo Fuentes. However, the conviction was overturned in 2007, when a panel of judges ruled that the prosecutors had failed to successfully prove the links between Acosta and Carillo. After Acosta's release, his rank of general was reinstated shortly before his retirement the following year." read more

Mexico Loses over 56,000 Soldiers to Desertion in Six Years

Fox News Latino: "Mexican civilians aren’t the only ones who have had enough of the country’s drug war.

Over 56,000 soldiers have deserted the Mexican military since President Felipe Calderón took office and launched an offensive against the country’s powerful drug cartels six years ago, according to documents obtained by news website Animal Político.

That figure amounts to 28 percent of the soldiers stationed in the country, according to Animal Político. read more

General Lozano Espinosa: Fox bequeathed a country taken over by organized crime

The blame game is on. As Mexico readies for campaign season in the run-up to the July 1 presidential elections, we expect to see a lot of this—public displays of government achievements and throwing blame for the many disasters of the past six years, but especially for the drug war. Here, an Army general speaks ‘as an individual, based on personal experience’ to point the finger at former president Vicente Fox and justify the role of the armed forces in the drug war.

La Jornada (translation Americas Program) Felipe Calderón Hinojosa inherited a country taken over by organized crime from Vicente Fox Quesada, in which a large number of the almost 2 million 500 towns “were imprisoned by crime and many mayors could not carry out their respobsibiliites...Therefore the Mexican Army had to step in to confront this phenomenon,” said General Genaro Fausto Lozano Espinosa, commander of the 5th Military Regiment, based in Guadalajara that includes the states of Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Colimba, Nayarit, and Zacatecas-,this Wednesday at the Law School of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas (AUZ).

In fact, the commander said, the Army must stay in the fight against organized crime because the situation is likely to endanger the very existence of the Mexican state, given its complexity and scope...

The military command acknowledged that at present, Mexico’s Pacific mountains are full of drugs and there are hundreds of thousands of people who dedicate themselves to its production. It’s a cultural issue, a way of life, he said, but currently, the country’s main problem “is the drug dealing, the growing consumption of drugs which is creeping into our homes without our knowledge.”

Lozano Espinosa defended President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa’s decision to send the army into the streets to fight organized crime, saying since the beginning of his administration there has been a serious problem of law and order in the country and the Army and Air Force cannot remain idle or negligent in their responsibilities. At the start of this administration, the state of governance, freedom, rule of law, and democracy was truly dramatic.

“Why do I say this? Because five years ago the country was literally taken over by organized crime. At the local level, many were co-opted by crime or threatened by the authorities.”

The major general, with four decades experience in the armed forces, said that many mayors were extorted, even with the budgetary resources that the national government provides for them to exercise their mandates... In this situation, an individual who was elected to lead a municipality could not possibly carry out duties and without that function there is no governance. And if people vote for someone who can’t carry out his or her duties, where’s the democracy in that? It’s not right! Because we have a de facto power that is ursurping the popular will, national sovereignty...

“Clearly the rule of law and freedom are affected. There were lots of rural roads and highways where criminals set up roadblocks and if you didn’t pay a quota, you couldn’t pass.”

With these examples, he said, we understand that security in the country is impaired, and the president has to exercise his constitutional powers to reverse a situation that poses a serious risk to national institutions and could escalate to endanger the very existence of the Mexican state. That is the reason why he ordered the armed forces to intervene against organized crime.

Corruption and incompetence in the police, especially local authorities, and the justice system is another reason to keep soldiers in the streets, said Lozano Espinosa. Read Spanish Original

Mexico has the world’s third largest police force

El Milenio: With more than 544 thousand federal, state, and local agents, Mexico has the world’s third largest police force, behind India and the United States. However, the incidence of high social impact crimes (homicide, armed robbery, and kidnappings) has not only continued, but even increased in recent years.

These statistics come from the Superior Audit Office of the Federation in its earnings statement on review of the 2010, which also reports a steady increase in the budget in the last five years for public safety and crime prevention.

Nonetheless, crime rates rose and thus the three branches of government saw the need for a new government system of police professionalization.

According to figures from the high oversight authority, high social impact crime continued to rise, with premeditated homicides rising from 15 to 18 per 100 thousands citizens.

In turn, robberies increased from 32 to 39 per 100 thousand people and kidnappings stood at a rate of one per 100 thousand.

All this despite the fact that Mexico has the third largest police force (544,025 in the three levels of government), surpassed only by India, with a little more than a million, and the United States, which has 951,000.

“This shows the failures of organizations operating within the country, including the Federal Police, which receives monetary resources every year,” said Arturo Zamora, deputy coordinator of PRI’s Legal Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies.

Growing expenditures

Based on the Supreme Audit Office of the Federation’s report, the Jalisco legislature said that in the period of 2006-2010, the Federal Police budget increased at a rate of 34.7 percent on average annually, from 5 billion 749 million pesos in 2006 to 18 billion 929 million pesos in 2010.

It also noted the armed forces role in stemming the wave of violence in the country. “As long as [the crime rate] fails to fall, as long as there is no range of security to ensure the full freedom of Mexicans, the army and navy should continue working towards the goal of guaranting security.”

Zamora reaffirmed in this regard that the PRI representatives are willing to create more legal tools for the Mexican state to combat organized criminal gangs, for which they will wait until the new president of the Commission of Government convenes a meeting to restart the analysis of the National Security Act.

Javier Corral, former president of that body and member of the PAN, was given permission to leave his seat last week, but first held the PRI responsible for the impasse on the law.

“As soon as someone as the new president of the Commission on Governance is named, they won’t call on the same members. There isn’t even a place to begin the analysis of the National Security Act, since the legislative process sent that bill at the first turn Commission of Government.”

“As the one who was appointed president of the Commission of Government did not convene the members, there is not even a place to begin analysis of the National Security Act, because the legislative process forwarded the bill at the first opportunity to the Commission of Government.”

The PRI deputy director also said that his party will work to avoid being blamed for the failure of the PAN’s anti-crime strategy, which has resulted in thousands of deaths during the current administration.

Translation: Michael Kane, Center for International Policy 

Drug War and Human Rights: Hague Court analyzing lawsuit against Calderon

Animal Politico: "Contrary to what predicted by President Calderon, the International Criminal Court (ICC) did not dismiss the claim that a group of 23 thousand Mexicans placed against him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"The Prosecutor's Office (of the ICC) has received the notification regarding Mexico and the Office will analyze the information as we do with all communications received in accordance with Article 15 of the Rome Statute, and shall decide in due course," said Florence Olara, a spokeswoman for the attorney general of the international court.

"We passed the first review and, contrary to what many say, the Court did not reject the request as being out of order; the information is being analyzed," said lawyer Netzaí Sandoval, who has brought the case before the Court.

Sandoval also reported that the group of more than 23,000 people who have approaced The Hague to request a formal trial against President Felipe Calderon has presented new evidence to strengthen its communication to the ICC.

Among the new documentation provided what stands out is that related to the case of General Manuel de Jesus Moreno Avina, who is being tried by military courts for engaging in torture and disappeances of civilians and suspected drug dealers.

It also included the report of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances of the UN, which called for criminalizing the offense and for withdrawing the army from the streets because of its being a participant in these crimes." Spanish original

Drug War: 43% of Mexicans consider strategy against crime a "failure": survey

CNN Mexico: "Four of every 10 Mexicans (43%) consider that the Mexican government's strategy to tackle organized crime is "a failure", according to a survey done by the organization Mexico United Against Crime (MUCD) and pollster Consulta Mitofsky .

Just eight months before the end of the administration of President Felipe Calderon,... 53% of respondents felt that organized crime is winning the battle, and "only 17% give the victory to the government." When the survey was done by MUCD in October 2011, 14% of respondents said the federal government "will win the war against organized crime, while in March 2012, that percentage had dropped to 12.7%.

The tenth study on perception of public insecurity in Mexico, which was released on Tuesday, states in its conclusions that the war on drugs has not reduced drug production, although seizures by the authorities have increased.

"In our country heroin production increased 340% between 2004 and 2008," said the civil organization, which also noted that "to date the drug is cheaper and more accessible," as its price has gone down by 15 to 50%. "Seven in 10 people around the country think it is easy to get drugs," the study said. "These figures show that drugs are available to everyone now more than ever," said Juan Francisco Torres Landa, general secretary of MUCD, according to a statement from the organization.

The percentage of respondents who considered it to be correct that the Mexican army participate in the fight against organized crime dropped to 67%, following a downward trend since 2007, when 84% endorsed the involvement of the military in this kind of work .
... Another section of the report, which recorded responses from 1,000 Mexicans over 18 years from March 8 to 11, 2012, mentions that 79% of Mexicans feel more insecure than last year, and only 18% see an improvement. "In five years in office, the crimes committed in the country increased from 1.5 to 1.8 million, which represents a percentage increase of 15%," said the study." Spanish original

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Mexico's "enforced" disappearances shielded by impunity, United Nations says

Houston Chronicle: "Shielded by a chronic pattern of impunity, Mexican soldiers, police and other authorities have carried out or failed to properly investigate thousands of "enforced disappearances" of Mexican citizens during the past five years of gangland violence, according to a United Nations commission.

While many such disappearances have been the work of gangsters, "not all the disappeared people have been kidnapped by members of organized crime acting alone," commission member Ariel Dulitzky, a University of Texas law professor, told Mexican officials Wednesday in a video conference from U.N. offices in Geneva.

"The participation of (government forces) in forced disappearances is also present," Dulitzky said. "Impunity affects all cases of forced disappearances." read more

U.S.-Mexico Relations: US and Mexico plan to start joint military exercises

CNN Mexico: "The United States plans to increase military cooperation with Mexico. The U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) today reported to Congress that the country is planning a joint simulation exercise in May.

Commander Charles Jacoby said the military relationship between the U.S. and Mexico has advanced to "unprecedented levels of coordination" and the two countries have become "strategic partners" with full respect for the sovereignty of each. "We are ready to increase collaboration and coordination in Mexico to the degree they desire and in accordance with the policies of the U.S. government," he said in written testimony before the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives.

The exercise, called Arden Sentry 12, to be held on May 2, will be the first of its kind undertaken by Northcom and the Mexican military as a combined action to support civil authorities in the event of natural disasters. The exercise scenario will simulate a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico that will land near Brownsville, Texas, will return to the sea and re-enter by the north coast of Texas. This includes mock serious damage to infrastructure.

In his testimony, Jacoby highlighted that the Northcom has--for several years--housed members of the Mexican Navy, Defense and Air Force Secretariats and stressed that this has helped "tremendously improve cooperation."

Jacoby said that while Mexico shares information regarding the struggle against transnational criminal organizations, the United States brings its experience in asymmetric conflicts, land warfare and challenges to the rule of law. The commander also pointed out the cooperation with Mexico in terms of planning, tactical skills, communications and incorporating human rights principles, as well as holding regular meetings to build relationships.

As an example, General Jacoby mentioned  planning exercises such as "Quickdraw" between naval forces of the United States, Canada and Mexico to improve the capacity to respond to illegal activities that threaten the security of North America." Spanish original

Drug War Corruption: General accused of being on the Zetas’ payroll

Justice in Mexico: "According to information published by news outlet Reforma, a General of the Sixth Military Zone based in Coahuila– a state in northern Mexico– was on the payroll of the Zetas’ criminal organization, as investigations by the Military Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de Justicia Militar, PGJM) and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) have discovered.

... The investigation into members of the military being on the Zetas’ payroll began in March 2011 under the lead of the PGJM and the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime (Subrocuraduría de Investigación Especializada en Delincuencia Organizada, SIEDO). It has since led to arrest the former sub-delegate of the PGR in Coahuila, Claudia González, and the former Chief of Operations Police (Policía Operativa de Coahuila), Manuel Cicero, on February 15 and 16, 2012, respectively, for their links to the Zetas." read more

Human Rights Abuses by Mexico Military in Spotlight

The Wall Street Journal looks, in some detail, at the Mexican military's abuses of human rights and the political battle over whether the military will be required to release cases to the civilian courts.

WSJ.com: "Throughout Mexico's drug war, the country's military has shrugged off allegations that soldiers have occasionally tortured or even executed suspected members of drug cartels, saying that the majority of the charges were made up by zealous activists or the cartels themselves.

But three high-profile cases this month that are being investigated outside the military's own secret courts have prompted the army's top commander to say the military may have committed serious human-rights abuses." read more

Human Rights Violations: What exactly are the “mistakes” of the Army?

Mexico Institute: "Last Thursday, at the commemoration of the 99th Anniversary of the Loyalty March (Marcha de la Lealtad), general Guillermo Galván, secretary of National Defense, admitted that the Army has committed "mistake" in the fight against organized crime, which began in the administration of Felipe Calderón.

In his declaration, however, he did not give any details on those "mistakes" that are, concretely: 33 civilians murdered, 225 tortured civilians, 20 victims of rape (17 women and three men), and three forced disappearances between December of 2006 and December of 2011. The latter information is contained in 82 archives from the National Commission on Human Rights. In addition, amongst these "mistakes" from the Army are those linked to the murder of five children, the torture of 10 children, the raping of two youngsters and sexual abuses against other two." Spanish original

Human Rights and the Drug War: Mexico Defense Minister says Public Security 'Overrun'

InSight Crime: "At a military ceremony yesterday, Mexican Defense Minister Guillermo Galvan Galvan addressed the national security situation in the country, pessimistically describing it in stark terms. “Clearly, in some sectors of the country the public security situation is completely overrun,” said Galvan, adding that “it should be recognized that national security is seriously threatened.” He went on to say that organized crime in the country has managed to penetrate not only society, but also the country’s state institutions." read more

Human Rights Violations: Mexican army chief admits mistakes in drug war, but says those responsible have been punished - The Washington Post

AP/Washington Post: " The Mexican army’s highest official concedes the military has committed errors in the fight against organized crime and drug traffickers but says those responsible have been punished. ... Defense Secretary Guillermo Galvan said during a ceremony Thursday, pledging loyalty to the president, that “there have certainly been mistakes.”" read more

Mexico Politics and Rule of Law: Mexican senator says congressional initiatives to combat orgainzed crime are not likely to be passed this session

La Jornada; "The chairman of the (Mexican) Senate Committee on Public Safety, Felipe Gonzalez, acknowledged it will be very difficult in this session to adopt pending initiatives submitted by the President for combating organized crime, as there is no consensus among the political forces.

Asked about the demand that President Felipe Calderon made on Monday to PAN senators to do battle to carry out pending initiatives, particularly the constitutional reform to establish a unified command police (at the state level, eliminating municipal police forces) and a modification that creates a new offense, called the criminal chain (which would hold all members of a criminal group guilty for the acts of any one member), the senator said the two are stuck.

The PAN legislator stressed that the case for reform to create a police command for each entity of the Republic was opposed even by PAN legislators, as well as by mayors' associations in the country, and the National Governors Conference, which had spoken to favor of these changes, but which withdrew its support in the end. It is an issue, he stressed, that has been discussed for two years in the Senate, but without reaching a consensus. ... Amendments to the Code of Military Justice with regard to jurisdiction (the trial of military personel in civilian courts when charged with violating civilian rights) are also stuck."  Spanish original

Human Rights Violations: Mexican General and Troops Charged in Border Town Atrocities

Mexican General and Troops Charged in Border Town Atrocities - NYTimes.com: "An army general and soldiers under his command sent to fight drug cartels in a border town have been charged in military court with carrying out killings, torture, drug dealing and other crimes, government officials confirmed this week.

The general, Manuel de Jesús Moreno Aviña, and his subordinates have been charged with systematically ordering the killings of at least seven civilians in Chihuahua State, according to Reforma, which cited statements in the investigation and an interview with a military prosecutor." read more

Drug War Strategy: Mexico Plans 5 New Military Bases in Zeta Territory

InSight Crime: "Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation ... according to the newspaper Excelsior. Four bases will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both among the northern border states most affected by drug violence, ...

The initiative comes as part of the government's drive to reinstate control in areas where criminal groups have, in some cases, overrun local authorities The Mexican Department of Defense stated that installing greater military presence in these areas will help return the rule of law, reports Excelsior." read more

Drug War: Mexico Officials report 'El Chapo' Aide Killed In Gunfight

AP/NPR: "Members of a Mexican army special forces unit fatally shot a high-ranking aide to the country's most-wanted drug dealer in a gunfight in the northern state of Durango, officials said Monday. Luis Alberto Cabrera Sarabia was responsible for the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel in Durango and part of the neighboring state of Chihuahua." read more

Human Rights Violations: HRW demands that the next Mexican government review anti-crime strategy

La Jornada: "The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), on Monday, called on the next government of Mexico to review its strategy against organized crime and drug cartels, which, in its view, increased violence and human rights abuses in the country. "It appears that the current strategy is not working," the Americas director for the organization ... José Miguel Vivanco, told a news conference in Washington.

The future government, which will be elected ... in July, has to ask itself if it should continue using the Army, currently deployed within the strategy of the government of Felipe Calderón, "against a problem which is political and judicial." Is the Army in a position ready to continue this fight? Or is it an entity that is not subordinate to civil authority? My opinion is the latter, said Vivanco.

In its global report released on Sunday, HRW reported serious human rights violations by Mexican military, along with great impunity in the face of these facts. The Military Attorney  opened 3,671 cases regarding possible abuses between 2007 and 2011, but there have been only 15 convictions, the organization highlighted .

Mexico's government, on Monday, rejected the accusations, assuring that the 50,000 soldiers deployed to combat organized crime do their work in strict compliance with the requirements of public safety.

Vivanco regretted that Mexico continues a general attitude of inflexibility, blindly going forward with a policy that pays off according to them, but according to all the figures shows that there is increasing violence and abuse at the same time.

He issued a challenge to the government of Mexico to explain how it can say that 95 percent of the nearly 50,000 people who have died from the violence of organized crime in the past five years are drug dealers, even though it has opened investigations in less than a thousand cases. The figure is minimal in relation to the severity and number of violations or abuses or murders that have occurred in the context of the fight against drug trafficking.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Mexico is a country open to human rights organizations, and related that recently he had a positive meeting with Calderon, who said he expects real and concrete changes in regard to human rights in the time that remains for his government." Spanish original