Tense Situation in Tierra Caliente

If you want a partial background to this situation I recommend reading an article translated by Jane Brundage over at Mexico Voices

Morelia, Michoacán—According to police reports, on April 5^th around 22:00 hours, elements of the Navy made the arrest of 13 civilians in the municipality of Múgica which prompted the mobilization of residents of the community, who rang the bells alerting the rest of the population of a tense situation.

People identified as self-defense members of the municipality of Nueva Italia carried out roadblocks on access roads to the county seat; this is because the Mexican Army and the Navy are initiating an operation to disarm the self-defense movement.

So far there are reports that elements of the federal security and army have withdrawn from the municipality of Nueva Italia amid the threat of a confrontation with the population.

The roadblocks are reported on Cuatro Caminos, La Estación and on the exit to Nuevo Conróndiro, where it is also indicated that access and presence of the media has been denied and the entrance of any vehicle, increasing the number of self-defense members at the points where the barricades are at.

According to reports, during the blockades, various members of the self-defense groups have said that their communities will never again be held hostage by criminals, murderers, kidnappers, and extortionists.  They denounced the complicity of the authorities with organized crime groups; so that the organized crime groups can take control of the communities again.

Social media announced that on Sunday April 6, federal authorities will attempt to disarm the rest of the self-defense groups of the municipalities of Múgica, Apatzingán and Parácuaro, the self-defense movement will call on the people to demonstrate in defense of the self-defense groups, which could provoke a confrontation because the self-defense groups will refuse to disarm.

Update: Mireles Confirms the Mobilization of the Self-Defense Movement
Update: Michoacán: 40 Self-Defense Members Detained

 Mireles Confirms the Mobilization of the Self-Defense Movement

Starting at 12:00 hours on Sunday, supporters of the self-defense movement will demonstrate in 20 municipalities of the state, demanding that the federal and state governments suspend the disarmament of the self-defense groups who fight organized crime, confirmed José Manuel Mireles Valverde, a leader and spokesman for the self-defense movement, this morning.

“These are small demonstrations by the citizens of the municipalities in which we operate, because the government must understand that we cannot disarm until the state is finished with organized crime”, said the spokesman.

According to the leader, the demonstrations will not be roadblocks, but it will be demonstrations in the municipalities of the residents who will demand the federal government respect the self-defense movement and suspend the disarmament that was announced.

Mireles noted, “We insist to the government that we won’t give up our weapons until the criminal structure is disbanded and we can live in peace”, concluded the leader.

Michoacán: 40 Self-Defense Members Detained

By: E. Martínez E.

Elements of the Mexican Navy arrested 40 members of the self-defense groups while they patrolled Cuatro Caminos, located in the county seat of Nueva Italia, municipality of Múgica, in the Tierra Caliente region.  Those arrested were taken to the Military Zone 43, located on the outskirts of Apatzingán, members of the self-defense groups reported.  The arrests occurred after 21:00 hours resulting in the mobilization of both self-defense groups as well as federal forces.  The marines were backed by a helicopter gunship.

 The self-defense groups organized and blocked the seven accesses to Apatzingán and alerted groups from Parácuaro, Buenavista Toma­tlán, Tepalcatepec, Coalcomán, Chinicuila, Nueva Italia, La Huacana, Churumuco and Huetamo in order for them to place roadblocks.  It was reported that they started burning tires.

As of the time this article was written, there were blockades in Nueva Italia, Parácuaro and Apatzingán; the operation of the federal forces has spread to seven of the 30 municipalities that have the presence of self-defense groups.

This Friday, Miguel Ángel Osorio, the Secretary of the Interior said that the self-defense groups will be disarmed, since they’ve completed their period already and the federal government can ensure the safety of Michoacán.

 

Sources: La Jornada, Quadratin, Michoacán 3.0