Tepalcatepec, Michoacán
By: Sanjuana
Martínez
The president of
the Council of Autodefensas of Tepalcatepec, one of the first towns that took
up arms, on February 24 of last year, is not willing to sit around waiting,
after the government decided to start disarming the groups of civilians.
“War has not yet
begun in Michoacán. It will start now
that the so-called commissioner Alfredo Castillo Cervantes leaves. And the war will be hard, because not only do
we have to fight against the declared Templarios, but also against those who
were ‘forgiven’ and those who ‘repented’, and as well as the false autodefensas”,
he says in an interview with La Jornada.
Many Scorpions
The betrayal of
the arachnid is not the only thing he is worried about. For the past three weeks, he knew that his
companions, who were allegedly allied with Commissioner Castillo, were
preparing to ambush him. That is why he
decided to come forward, to go to the City of Mexico, to meet with human rights
defenders and record a video addressed to Enrique Peña Nieto, calling him for a
direct dialogue, a request that has finally been answered, as interpreted by
the threat of sending him to jail for the murder of five people; a crime, he
says, he did not commit and whose testimonies were fabricated.
Mireles defends
himself and counters: “There are five deaths because the people of Castillo go
out and block us from entering the coast so that we don’t lead the movement
forward to Lázaro Cárdenas. Why? There are many millions for Castillo in
Lázaro Cárdenas, for Smurf, for Los Viagras, and for El Cinco?...And I’m the
crazy one, right? We are working for the
good of Michoacán. They are not. If Castillo is also attacking us it’s because
that bastard is also a Templario. If
they don’t let us enter Morelia, Zamora, Lázaro Cárdenas, it’s because it also belongs
to the criminals and because they have an agreement with the organized crime.”
The allegations
of collusion between organized crime and government authorities that Mireles
has made in the past have been compelling, as in the case of former Governor Jesús
Reyna and several now imprisoned Michoacán mayors. “We will fight criminals, the Templarios,
wherever they may be, even if they have the shirts of the autodefensas on. Those, Los Viagras, El Cinco and Papa Smurf
are the bastards who are with Castillo.
At one time Papa Smurf and Los Viagras were part of La Familia; at
another time, with La Tuta, all of them, I also have reports that José
Alvarado, El Burro, the chief hidden among them all, was one who would take
money from La Tuta to give it to ‘Chucho’ Reyna. They are all from Buenavista”.
Outraged,
Mireles fixes his gaze, he moves his long fingers and points at the
infinite. He says he would’ve never
thought that Peña Nieto would be so bothered about asking for direct
dialogue. He is president of the
Republic, he can easily solve the problem in Michoacán; primarily by not
bringing in bastards who ally themselves with the criminals. We are worse than before.
He notes that he
will continue his fight because he ensures that he has control over 70% of those
in Michoacán who have taken up arms, an area which increases because every day,
more and more people are united with him.
“The people know that this group of Smurf, Los Viagras, El Cinco, and El
Burro Alvarado are from the new cartel H3, they are pure ex Templarios, ex La
Familia, and some ex Cartel de Jalisco.
They forgave them and now they are the general coordinators of the whole
movement. No way!
The Five Dead
Mireles, a
surgeon, walked down the street and people expressed their affection, they
offered him support. Every morning,
neighbors come to him from different municipalities of Michoacán to tell him
their problems. They are people who
continue to suffer from the violence of the Templarios, in very different ways:
kidnappings, extortions, murders, robberies.
More than 300
complete families disappeared in Tepalcatepec; from some, they only left us
pieces of body parts. The last complete family
that was disintegrated recently was of some cheese makers whose quota rose to
50,000 pesos and they couldn’t pay anymore.
An ambulance
tried to enter the town last night, shielded by autodefensas: “They brought a
psychiatrist because they were going to take me tied up and all. When I arrived, they had just left because
the people said: “don’t come here to fuck things up, if you return, we will
welcome you with bullets.”
—Do you think
they will kill you?
—Yes. I no longer have family in this house, that
is alone, as you can see. I no longer
have a wife, I no longer have my daughters.
I have 14 months with a threat. When
I rose up in arms they gave me 24 hours to live. They told me: In 24 hours we are going to
kill everyone from your house, even the chickens. But I keep on fighting and I even fell out of
a plane.
—Are you afraid?
—I’m not afraid
anymore. That’s the bad part. That’s why I spearhead the attacks, I’m at
the point, forward. I know that God has
protected me a lot. And my friends as
well. And that is why I can prove that the
five murders that I am accused of are a lie, they are the same people who
killed them in Caleta, an attack that they say I ordered. It’s a lie, I don’t order advancements, I am
always in the front.
—But there is a picture of you where you pick
up the head of a dead person…
—When I arrived,
the forensics told me: Doctor, up there is a corpse, why don’t you help us
bring it down? I said: Sure. I still can’t walk properly, but I had my
guards and we went to the top of the hill.
Upon arrival I took pictures with him.
I asked them: And this one, how was he killed? They told me: This was the one that greeted
us with bullets. And all of those who
were there with guns started shooting at each other. And they arrested 18; seven Templarios and 11
for running.
Mireles says
that the fight where five men were killed was not ordered by him, and he only
went to the scene because he received a distress call: “Smurf, Los Viagras, and
El Cinco put up Templario roadblocks in Chuquiapan. They themselves financed them, they gave them
food and shirts. While interrogating the
18 detained three Sundays ago, they told me.
Smurf caused that war, he caused these deaths, and now he doesn’t know
how to clean his hands”.
He says that the
following Monday after the events he called Castillo and arranged to meet with
him in Coalcomán: “He asked me: ‘Did you talk with the detainees?’ I responded: ‘Yes sir, they are all
Templarios. I investigated them.’ ‘What about the dead?’, he asked me. ‘They are also Templarios’, and I asked him
for roadblocks in Playa Azul and La Mira.
He authorized it. But he asked me
for a favor; that I would hand over the detainees to the attorney of Uruapan
and Apatzingán. In front of me, he
called them. I said goodbye to him, and
before reaching the door, Smurf was talking to me. He complained to me. He told me that who the hell was I to go send
people to put up roadblocks. I told him:
‘Look, asshole, don’t yell at me or command me, remember that I can command
you, but you can’t. Remember that I put
you as spokesperson while I was recuperating; I’m here throwing blows’. He lied to me, he told me that he had already
spoken to everyone, the same lie, and they asked me to stay. I went back and I told Castillo: ‘Do you
fully trust your people?’, and he responded: ‘100% in all’. I said: ‘Then the traitor here is you’. He didn’t say anything.”
Upon raising the
complaint with the Public Ministry, Mireles says that the testimonies say that
the time of the attack in which five men were killed was at four and he had
arrived at 6:30pm. “Smurf sent for all
of the survivors of the case. I saw them
and none of them that met with Smurf were there. They were people of Chuquiapan, some eight or
10, paid. Castillo arrived and a witness
said: ‘I saw that Dr. Mireles came here shooting bullets, along with El Plátano.’ And I told them: ‘Ah, how excellent. Tell me what truck did I have’. He said: ‘ A red one.’ I said: ‘you fucked up, friend; I was in a
black one.’ I saw Evangelina, a woman
who was at the barricades, and I asked her: ‘Did you see me arrive shooting?’ ‘No doctor, the shooting was at four and you
arrived at 6:30.’ Another witness
confirmed it. Another witness stated
that the commander Valencia ordered them to advance and not El Plátano, and he
said that at no time did they ask me for my permission.”
—Do you think
that Castillo will try to imprison you for retaliation?
—Yes, with that
version that I’m not well ever since I fell off the plane. The day I got sick, I appointed Papa Smurf as
spokesperson because he was my guard.
And he helped me. He was the one
who was responsible for getting money for paying the hospitals. I couldn’t distrust Papa Smurf. We were friends. His betrayal hurts me a lot. It feels horrible.
—Why did you
choose a repented guard?
—He was faithful
and loyal to us. I didn’t know that he
had been a part of La Familia. I barely
found out.
—Is Castillo
capable of doing something against you?
—He was the one
who handed out the documents that El Cinco and Smurf signed. If anything happens o me, you know who it
was.
From Hand to Mouth
Mireles gets
excited, he cries. He remembers how he
was first kidnapped, taking him out of his office, and how they kidnapped his
two sisters, something that cost the life of his mother. When he finally decided to denounce the army
generals corrupted by the money of the Templarios, they placed three of his neighbor’s
heads outside of his home.
They killed them
for having a votor registration card of Tepalcatepec. And I didn’t shut up. They were my neighbors, I saw them grow
up. That is why I’ll keep on
fighting. That is how we started
shooting. The first time we made the
mistake of handing over 27 detainees to the army of Tepalcatepec, with guns and
all. The army handed them over to the
Public Ministry and the next day they were free with their guns. Who were we going to trust in? What other authority could we have talked to? I personally called the governor and he didn’t
want to talk. What authority? Why do you think I went (to the city of)
Mexico? I wanted them to know about what
his going on now. The commissioner is
already allied the criminals and soon there will be more evidence.
Mireles lives
from hand to mouth. He never knows where
he will eat or where he will sleep. The
only thing he is sure of is that battles are approaching. His people are waiting for his orders.
Before leaving
in his new armored truck, which his dad, 81, bought on credit, he gives him his
blessing. His bodyguards follow
him. My dream is to be at peace
here. Money, politics, or fame don’t interest
me. I want what’s good for Michoacán. The government has never respected the
agreements. We just need to remember
what they did with Emiliano Zapata, Francisco I. Madero, Francisco Villa. History is telling us. I’ve been in the way for a long time.
—Do you think
your death will be good for something?
—No. Mexicans are absent-minded. Maybe in a month no one will remember me.
Source: La Jornada
My respect goes out to this man who wants change. If he's willing to die for the cause it's clear to say he's fed up with the situation. Fuck the Mexican gov. Who doesn't back their people or care who dies, gets robed, gets kidnapped and so on.. keep on fighting people of michoacan other mexican states need join the movement or it won't work if just michoacan is willing to die for change.
ReplyDeleteIs there any way I can help these brave men and women? I'm just a white boy from California but I feel like shit for buying drugs and supporting the destruction of generations of a great people. Thank you BB for opening my eyes. Its time for me to put my money where my mouth is.
ReplyDeleteYou are a good man
DeleteGovernment is never there to protect you. It is there to steal from you. And if you are lucky, that is all it will do.
ReplyDeleteWe can't blame the government for being poor that's your fault maybe Mexicans should stop eating money on party's and quinceneras
Delete@1:25 PM: You can inform every newspaper and editor in the US about this story and how the Mexican government are spinning the wrong story worldwide. International pressure and embarrassment is the only thing EPN will listen to.
ReplyDeleteGreat article. Arriba el dr mireles
ReplyDeleteWe need to spread this article on social media. Twitter spreads pretty quick if we can get it to trend using a #. Any Ideas on a hash tag? Also add the link on the tweet. If people will support #BringBackOurGirls why wouldn't they support Michoacan's problem? Anyone in?
ReplyDeleteAugh it hurts to see that so many Mexicans just buy into the media cover up and just feed off La Rosa De Guadalupe etc tv shows..Wake up the people of Mexico! I pray for Dr Mireles, he's the real deal of what a Man is.
ReplyDeleteMexico would be one of the most beautiful countries in the world if they would get their hands out of other peoples pockets.
Viva Mireles and down El Pitufo and El Americano that obviously they are against Mexico and against the corruption. Now the Gov. wants to silence and jail Mireles.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Slim bought into the New York Times for a reason.
ReplyDeleteControl the brainwashing propaganda machine known as the mainstream media.
Poor doctor he should know better by now that if you do the right thing in this life you are consider a moron for doing it .in this life people dont do the right thing unless it is the most convinience one to do at the given situation. He dicho
ReplyDeleteSmurf ain't gonna last. He's gonna end up getting killed by the people he betrayed or the government. He fucked up bad. He doesn't have the support like Dr.M doess. Pendejo, le doy menos que 6 meses.
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval.
Doubt it, the truth is suppressed at Borderland Beat.
Dude. No one likes you.
DeleteHeeeeeeees back folks, you know you have missed him
ReplyDeleteI'm from California a Hispanic half of my family is from Michoacan, and I'm willing to join dr Mireles on figting against the cartel how do I join; how do I finance Dr Miteles AD?
ReplyDeleteFrom California, a Hispanic and half of my family is from Michoacan. I'm willing to join the Dr Mireles Ad to fight the cartel, how do I finance Dr Mireles AD?
ReplyDeleteSame question i have had chivis please give us paypal or western union accnt so we can finance!
DeleteYES LETS HELP FINACE DR. MIRELES!
DeleteJack, Jacky boy,
ReplyDeleteDid you finally find your true self? So you went to Michoacan to lead the poor Indios to the path of freedom, you were caught then released by the government on May 11. You get 3 attaboys! And one michelada with your choice of beers.
DJ
ReplyDeleteHang tight. I will get some info, I am not sure if he is closing the other accounts because of what has transpired.
BTW...I think am going to do an interview with Dr Mireles using about 20 questions from readers. Because of your family roots, I invite you to send in a question. you can send it through comments.
I will post when I decide to do it, but I would think in a couple of weeks when we know more of how things will develop
thanks
I have a question for Dr Mirales: If i want to support the ADs financially how can I go about sending funda?
DeleteWaiting two weeks might not be a good idea. He has quite the target on his back.
DeleteChivis please ask him how we may contribute economically. I'm sure lots of us here at BB would love to contribute to the cause and some of us even have family in michoacan. Chivis you have the opportunity to communicate with an individual that will one day be in history books, lets help anyway we can
DeleteHello chivis i am a big fan of this website and of your work. I am working on an article for school about the current drug war between u.s and mexico and i was curious if maybe you could help me out? I would gladly appreciate it. Thanks
DeleteTell me how to spread the story of Dr. Mireles, the George Washington of Mexico. Anglo here... want it to go viral... want to help Mexico.
ReplyDeleteMexico begins swearing in former vigilantes for new Michoacan force
ReplyDeleteBBC News-May 10, 2014
The move is designed to bring the militias fighting the Knights Templar drugs cartel in the western state of Michoacan under official control.
Mexico Michoacan state recruits vigilante police to fight drug cartel
South China Morning Post-7 hours ago
Mexico to transform anti-cartel vigilante forces
Yahoo News-May 10, 2014
Mexico turns anti-cartel vigilantes into a police force
Telegraph.co.uk-22 hours ago
Mexican anti-cartel militiamen resisting government plan to ...
In-Depth-Washington Post-4 hours ago
Papa Smurf's army: Mexico turns vigilantes into police force to battle ...
Blog-RT (blog)-18 hours ago
Doctor Mireles refused to speak with media, to bad for him that Papa Smurf and President Pena did not impose the same restrictions upon themselves.
And you thought it was 'Noble' and 'Smart' for him to avoid the media spotlight. Foolish advise to an honorable but naive man. You were supposed to be the 'Expert' in media. You let him down, Chivis.
You let Mexico down.
You should have listened.
I also want to help with financing dr mireles.
ReplyDeleteTengo un consejo si el Dr mireles puede leer esto. Dr usted es un verdadero heroe de nuestro Mexico y tiene el total apoyo de toda su gente. Asi si es que ahora no les pegue suabe a los enemigos pegueles pero pegueles duro porque ya no hay vuelta de hoja y ahora es usted o ellos y todo Mexico y el mundo queremos que sea usted.
Y QUE VIVA NUESTRO GENERAL MIRELES!!!
Tienen que rescatar a hipolito mora de las manos de estos corruptos y traidores de la patria.
ReplyDeletemichoacan mexico in need of urgent u.s intervenience civil war is emerging .
ReplyDeleteCivil war is emerging, but U.S. Intervention would make it worse
DeleteI would not know what to think if I couldn't come home every night and read about such an inspiring person. These days it seems that no one wants to stand up for what's right and chivalry has been lost. To me that is the beginning to the very end. God bless Dr. Mireles - I feel lucky to have been here to witness this great man. A man that inspires through TRUE love, courage and devotion. If only we all lived following those principals.
ReplyDeleteJack Hawkins , wouldnt you be better of over at blog del narco! They dont know shit about the narco insurgency either.
ReplyDeleteIs all hope lost for Michoacán ?I hope not. Dr Mireles wants to get everything out in the open in case hes taken out.Government wants to create confusion with the he said,she said spin so another outsider can come in and the feds still get their cut. Something has to give.What, I don't know,like they say;hindsight is 20/20.Either Michoacán will slide back to the old ways and if it does I sure hope this grabs international attention because it sure deserves it, only trouble is,is that mainstream doesn,t understand what extortion and protection rackets are. I didn't,only learned it reading BB.
ReplyDeleteIt was about time you pay for your ego Mireles you fucking rat.
ReplyDeleteCastillo is that you? Whats the matrer? Have you been exposed as corrupt?
DeleteThe problem here is papa smurf the government is using him to make Mireles look bad. DR.Mireles knows how the fucked up government works that's why he knows for sure that if he isn't incarcerated soon he will be killed by a person pretending to be auto defensa. It's true what he says that if he is killed the people of Mexico/michoacan will forget about him in a month that's the sad part hes basically giving his life for people of michoacan to live at peace he should have more support than what he has.
ReplyDeleteI'm not to sure about that! Remember the Alamo?
DeleteChivis ask him why he doesn't come out and say all the names of politicians and generals or army personnel that have threatened him with his life. That way godforvid anything happens to him then the people would have an idea of who it was. Thanks
ReplyDeleteBLACK EYES JACK , you are as shameless as spineless, it's a pity that a major serial bullshitter like you, come back with one more shit for us.
ReplyDeleteyou come back here because you can't find any audience anywhere else, BB will even post your bullshit once in a while, and you are still complaining like a sore assed old coot, you are really so incompetent that you can't find a place where somebody can really agree with you, thats is plain stupid, with a certificate, free, unlike the education the gi bill has wasted on you...
General Douglas mcArthur, the american cesar, the west point cadet that took his mom to school to live with him, because he was the most pampered mama's boy there ever was, DUGOUT DOUG, the general that ran for cover out of the PHILIPINES when the japanese kicked the US IN THE ASS, he said when he left for home and safety: "WE SHALL RETURN"
ReplyDeleteand he returned to return the favor to the japonaise...
i don't see why Dr Mireles has to keep up with a losing proposition, the last thing anybody needs is another martyr, i understand the moral need for having to stay with his brothers at-arms, but a more effective fight needs to be put out, Dr Mireles owes it to his people to get support outside of michoacan, quickly, his name alone will bring support for the cause like nothing else, el puñetero mayor is sick and jealous that Dr Mireles stole his million dollar TIME propaganda campaign without spending one cent, and that he has so much more support all over mexico and the world.
RT.com, Russia Today has taken an interest on the michoacan situation, and they would like to make more friends, all the tv coverage on the US is real mild, the token ten seconds a few times a day, it will take a real major action for the real AD to come back on top, and the way it is going, the few unarmed AD will become less and less, who needs another imprisoned or dead hero? just on humanitarian grounds, Dr Mireles has the doors of any country in the workd open, not the ONU aka UN their peace branch and their human rights divisions have already found no complaints, no violations to human rights, and nothing to carry on about, but we the people know better, maybe Hardvard will have a position for Dr Mireles, they have found positions for worse personalities from around the world, including real mexican satraps...now that the US needs some credibility all over the world, they may like to help, the europeans and the chinese interests can't be the only ones exploiting their michoacan relations with government satraps...
England has the COLDSTREAM GUARDS...
ReplyDeleteAmerikkka has the coldcream grampa of the Academi terrorist organizationlooking for juicy government private security contracts, as usual, will advice both sides on how to fuck each other up under the protective and watchful eyes of blackwater haliburton/academi services, with more torture and waterboarding than mexico has ever seen...
BLACK EYES JACK, at the service of her maje$$$$ty$$$ interests.
FUCK BROKEBACK BLACK EYES JACK AND HIS MUCH RIDDEN HORSE'S ASS
No way! Don't allow Jackass back in, he is so ignorant about Mexico he angers me so I can't think of much else. I thought you said he is in spam.
ReplyDeleteCounter productive.
my prayers are with Dr. Mireles and the good people of Michoacan. Hope they arrest all them corrupt officials and EPN grows a pair and sends help.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the American gvt cares that the Mexican gvt is corrupt and kills its own citizens, think again.
ReplyDeleteREADERS:
ReplyDeleteany of you know what a AMPARO INDIRECTO is?
and as for why he doesn't name names, he fears it will provoke rapid retaliation, look what happened when he called out Castillo..
Chivis, I know you guys run a twitter account. Let's try to get something trending so we can raise some awareness please. We must do what we can.
ReplyDelete@9:34 perro que da en comer huevo, ni anque le quemen el hocico se le quita la maña.
ReplyDelete--black eyes jack knows there is money to be made on paramilitary services and extrajudicial executions, and in mexico, where la vida no vale nada, he will have to charge by the dozen...
R
ReplyDeleteman...I don't get twitter, I have no clue how to get something trending.
did you see the new video from leading activists?
you soy autodefensa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHCMU2YYDgE
the AD leader in Uruapan was killed last week and over the weekend, five guys watching/protecting his house, also ADs, were also killed. does anyone know if these ADs were considered clean or dirty? uruapan in purepecha so i'm guessing clean
ReplyDeleteI just saw it and I hope it goes viral. Wish they would one in English or with English subtitles so everyone can understand it.
ReplyDeleteAs for twitter we have to get enough tweets and include a hash tag like on the video #YoSoyAutodefensa. We could come up with our own hash tag for the English speaking community and include links to BB articles on the tweets. I'll probably tweet you guys so you can better understand if you'd like.
Chivis you need all the help you can get, and I'm pretty sure the readers here can help you spread the word!
ReplyDeleteWe have rec more than 100 requests for donation information in the past 2 days. Incredible. I will ask Mireles what he intends to do, because the old account is probably taken down.
ReplyDeleteI know he sent out a request for help to buy a armor vehicle last week, after the gov took his away. But only asking people he trusts. He has the vehicle now, I think a jeep that he was able to get on credit.
But I will ask about general donations for the movement.
thank you all.
Chivis,what about get a hold of Zac De La Rocha.He's a great activist with many followers.I bet he'll do something to help..just my thought.
Deletehere is the translation (by 777) for the "Yo Soy Autodefensa" video
ReplyDeleteTranslations:
Padre Solalinde - Hermanos del Camino
"Migranst are the most vulnerable and most affected at this moment. More than 500 of us are defenders of migrant human rights. We've been defending and protecting them because the state can not. In that way, I AM AUTODEFENSA."
Jaime Rodriguez "El Bronco" - Former Garcia,NL Mayor
"Peace for my family is the most valuable thing to me. I AM AUTODEFENSA. And I will fight for them. We should all be AUTODEFENSAS for what we believe in."
Talia Vasquez - Autodefensas Cuidadanas
"Because impunity hurts. Because impunity causes mayhem and generates much despair."
Mario Segura - Salvemos Tamaulipas
"Michoacanos can not fight alone. We should be by their side."
General Jose Gallardo - Defender of Human Rights
"The Michoacan AD is a step forward to finding a solution for Mexico's insecurity issues."
Jose Jaques Medina - Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano
"The Michoacanos had to create AD to defend their dignity, livelihood, and families."
Selena Vasquez A. - Diputada Local en Michoacan
"Because the abuse and enslavement of my people angers me, I AM AUTODEFENSA."
Ramon Alejandro Vaca - Businessman
"Because I am tired of the insecurity. Because I am tired of the injustice."
Mireles
"Because those that were supposed to defend us, the Michoacanos, and all of Mexico, did not have the valor to do it. That is why, I AM AUTODEFENSA."
We are all AUTODEFENSA!
I AM AUTODEFENSA!
We are all AUTODEFENSA!
@ 8:12
ReplyDeleteGuess what? My daughter dated Tim Commerford the bass player of Rage.
It did not end well, but I will ask if she can reach Zac.
I know Zac helps the Zapatistas with fund raising concerts, through Grassroots. He was very involved in that way.
good idea.
I have always been a rage fan! Immortal technique fan too! I'm sure immortal technique would contribute. Viperrecords.com
DeleteBy the way thank you chivis! You have affected my daily life in a positive way :) please dont stop
DeleteChivas, great work. May God be with Dr. M! I too would like to donate funds/and or find a way down to fight with Dr. M
ReplyDeleteIts so sad that the Mexican Government is so entrenched with the criminal cartels! When is the world going to realize the real cartel pulling strings has been the Government all along!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMireles vive la lucha sigue
ReplyDeleteAll my respect goes to this man!!!
How about getting Oliver Stone on board for a movie or a documentary? I know it sounds like bs but it would help raise awareness worldwide.
ReplyDeleteALJAZEERA, today "
ReplyDeleteMexico legalises vigilantes to fight cartels Last updated: 10 May 2014 Rise of vigilante movement brought fears that it could turn into a dangerous paramilitary force.
Mexican authorities have begun handing out blue uniforms and assault rifles to vigilantes in the country's western region, legalising a movement that formed last year to combat a vicious drug cartel.
Scores of farmers lined up at a cattle ranch on Saturday to receive the uniforms of the newly created rural state police force in Tepalcatapec, one of the towns that founded the self-defence militias in the lush agricultural state of Michoacan.
The units were also making their debut in the neighbouring town of Buenavista, which revolted in February 2013 against the cult-like Knights Templars gang because local police failed to protect them.
"With this we become legal," said the white-bearded vigilante leader Estanislao Beltran, nicknamed "Papa Smurf," after slipping into his blue uniform. "We are part of the government."
The new rural police officers then sang the national anthem at a formal swearing-in ceremony in the town square.
The federal government, which had tolerated the vigilantes, has warned that anybody found carrying weapons illegally after Saturday's deadline to join the police will be arrested.
But vigilante leaders said they still had to hash out details on pay and who would be in command, though they would work alongside the regular state police.
'Pseudo-vigilantes'
The rise of the vigilante movement, which spread to some 30 towns, brought fears that it could turn into a dangerous paramilitary force.
The violence in Michoacan turned into one of the biggest security challenges to President Enrique Pena Nieto, who deployed thousands of troops to restore order last year and named a special security envoy earlier this year.
The transition comes amid deep divisions within the vigilante movement, accusations that it is infiltrated by cartels and the recent arrest of one of its founders.
Authorities have also found several cases of criminals posing as vigilantes.
Late Friday, 135 "pseudo-vigilantes" were arrested in La Mira, near the port of Lazaro Cardenas, after clashing with troops, a state security official told AFP.
The movement's leadership has faced turmoil, too.
On Thursday, the council of self-defense forces in more than 30 towns announced the dismissal of its chief spokesman, Jose Manuel Mireles, who was absent from Saturday's events.
The council accused him of making public statements without clearance that undermined the movement.
It also said "recent actions" by Mireles had cost the lives of five civilians, but it did not elaborate.
Authorities said on Friday they are investigating whether Mireles had a role in the deaths.
Mireles could not be reached for comment.
Another founder of the movement, Hipolito Mora, was arrested in March on charges that he was behind the murders of two fellow vigilantes. He has rejected the charges.
Mireles, a tall, mustachioed doctor, told a radio station this week that the vigilante movement was divided and infiltrated by criminals.
Later he released an Internet video message asking Pena Nieto for a direct dialogue and saying he needed a new security detail because he feared for his life.
After the authorities took down three of the four main Knights Templar leaders, the vigilantes signed an agreement last month to register their guns and put them away at home, or join the rural force.
The militias and the government are still hunting for the cartel's last top leader, Servando Gomez, alias La Tuta.
Alfredo Castillo, Pena Nieto's special security envoy to Michoacan, said the vigilantes had registered 6,442 of an estimated 7,000 weapons as of Friday, including 4,497 military-grade guns.
More than 3,300 vigilantes have signed up to join the police force, officials said. The vigilantes have said that they have 20,000 people in their ranks.
maybe twitter would be interested in setting up and running the operation, as would all the other outlets, the world would support Dr Mireles with more money than michoacan is worth, and the doctor needs to get over here in person, i am glad that el bronco and solalinde and the general gallardo among the others have put it out like that, information technologists will volunteer to do the job to make the movement go viral, and lets remember the licking pena nieto took for saving mexico, without any organized move from any of us...
ReplyDelete--regarding the Amparo, it usually is for criminals to protect themselves, from prosecution, it is very expensive, there is a lot of legal lingo, but you can check it on yahoo, i hate to see so much bullshit, help yourself...
In all opinion.
ReplyDeleteThis man respects humanity, cares about his people, and offers hope away from this shocking cruelty and barbarity from which the Mexican people have endured.
A really decent human being.
Respect, keep up the good work, carry on taking on the cartels, you ARE making your mother proud.
God bless you.