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Monday, May 27, 2013

EPN's Government Looking Towards Security in Michoacan

NarcoBolo
Looking towards security solutions
When launching a comprehensive security strategy for Michoacan, the Interior Minister, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, said that there will not be any truce with organized crime.

After a meeting of the National Security Cabinet, which lasted over three hours, the federal official said the federal presence in the state in Michoacan will continue until it is guaranteed a restoration of order and security in all areas.

The head of the Ministry of the Interior Osorio Chong stressed the aim is to ensure safety for all of Michoacan.

The first change in strategy is effective coordination between different security agencies, the Army, the Navy, Defense, Attorney General's Office (PGR) and the Center for Investigation and National Security (Cisen) with State Government. "This is the big difference today.  It isn't the federal government's strategy to impose the strategies on the states but rather to work together."  The official assured that the civic police will be purged in Michoacan and police will work for Mexican society alone." 

For his part, Secretary of National Defense, Salvador Cienfuegos, said the comprehensive strategy for the state is to ensure the safety and walkability of Michoacan, and stated that they will not let anyone walk armed.

"We are among the leaders talking to communities in Michoacan and there has been good response from people," he said, and stressed, in relation to a question about the community guards, that "we will not let anyone walk armed."
At the press conference, Brigadier General Salvador Cienfuegos, the head of the Department of Defense stated that there has been some criminal groups, we have to face them and bring them to the appropriate authorities to ensure the safety of population so that they can once again resume normal activities. "They have been warned that no one is allowed armed and we're even going to start an arms exchange program which will be lead by the Army.  This situation showing criminal groups violating the law encourages the president Enrique Peña Nieto to instruct us to support local and state authorities with strong and decisive actions to protect the population and give certainty and tranquility," Cienfuegos continued, "the Interior Minister, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong mentioned that coordination between municipal, state and federal, in compliance with the law, will help to return peace and tranquility to the entity."

The call of the Secretary of National Defense comes just days before the federal government announced the rescue of the state of Michoacán. In the announcement, the government said that, as a first step , Brigadier General Alberto Reyes Vaca was appointed as secretary of Public Security of the State.
Protection for the Guanajuato/Michoacan border
Irapuato, Mexico (May 21, 2013) - The Governor of Guanajuato, Miguel Marquez Marquez, announced a special shielding of the Guanajuato border with Michoacán with participation of the Army, Federal Police and state, municipal police officers to the military. The aim being to recover regions occupied by vigilante groups. Coming directly from a meeting with the group of coordinated security, which involved the Army, PGR, Cisen, the Federal Police, the Attorney General of the State, the Ministry of Public Security of the State. "We are working on a draft, a new protection security plan for of the border," he announced Tuesday during a working trip."We are doing this work, devising a plan on paper. We have 15 days, and are following the border of the state, the whole south of the state will be reinforced with details, to care for the possible effect that there are repercussions by the strengthening of the surveillance in Michoacan. Marquez Marquez said that in at least seven municipalities in the south of the state, they will have an added presence of military details due to the necessity of strengthening by federal, state and municipal policies. "We're talking about all municipalities south of Coroneo, Acambaro, Moroleón, Uriangato, Pénjamo, Manuel Doblado, Cuerámaro, which are the areas adjacent to Michoacan," he said. -When asked if authorities fear "the cockroach effect" by the fortifying areas with armed forces in Michoacan? He replied, "There's always this phenomenon which results more strongly in some entities, undoubtedly this phenomenon can occur, but we have to do our homework," Pertaining to the question of adding special security for the Japanese families who have settled in the state to launch the Honda and Mazda auto plants he said,  "We have been watching this issue of security closely, we have talked with them, there is a very close relationship between them and municipal, and state authorities. We're very mindful that security covers, not only the Japanese plant workers and families, but that there is ample protection for all the people throughout all Guanajuato. Miguel Marquez Marquez launched an appeal to Guanajuato to be careful when traveling to the State of Michoacan."Always take precautions, be careful because we know  the issue of security in Michoacan, it is not easy and you have to take care, that is the call to  Guanajuato." he said.














Thursday, May 23, 2013

Boxes of Cash Found in Tabasco Corruption Probe



MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities on Wednesday seized five boxes filled with cash as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement by a former governor of southern Tabasco state, in what could become the latest test for President Enrique Pena Nieto to act against corruption.

Tabasco state prosecutor Fernando Valenzuela said bundles of 500- and 1,000-peso bills were found in an office of Jose Saiz, who was finance secretary under former Gov. Andres Granier of Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI

Investigators are still counting the money, but a witness told them the cache contains from 90 million to 100 million pesos, Valenzuela said. That would between $7 million and $8 million.
Current Gov. Arturo Nunez, of the opposition Democratic Revolution Party, has repeatedly accused his predecessor of having left a public debt of millions of dollars and of representing Mexico's corrupt, old-style politics.

Local media recently made public an audio in which Granier boasted about owning hundreds of suits and pairs of shoes and of only shopping at the best stores in Beverly Hills.
Granier later said he was boasting about things he doesn't have because he was drunk. He hasn't been charged with any crime.

The federal Attorney General's Office has also opened an investigation into the handling of public funds by Granier, Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told Radio Formula on Wednesday.
"We will investigate and get to the bottom of this," Osorio Chong said.

He denied Granier is getting preferential treatment for being a member of the PRI.
"The investigation is going at the speed it needs to go," he said. "There are things being made public by the media but that doesn't mean they are evidence."

The PRI governed Mexico for 71 years and was seen as a party that encouraged corruption and authoritarianism. It lost the presidency for the first time in 2000 but it returned to power on Dec. 1 with Pena Nieto, who has said that his party has changed and that he will not stand for illegality.

Politicians and union leaders have not been shy about showing their extravagant homes and brand name clothes and jewelry despite their low salaries, leading many to suspect they were funding their flamboyant taste with public funds.

One recent case was that of Elba Esther Gordillo, a former leader of the powerful teachers union who was arrested in February on charges of diverting millions of dollars of funds belonging to teachers.

"The Teacher," as she was known, was famous for wearing designer clothes and handbags. She built her political career with the PRI, but the party expelled her a few years ago after she supported an opposition presidential candidate.
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO