Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
By
changing the use of axes to cut wood, villagers on the slopes of Pico de
Orizaba mustered up the courage to defend themselves against the growing
insecurity in the region. More than 40
communities of Soledad Atzompa make up this movement, as autodefensas.
Fortín,
Veracruz— The mayor of Soledad Atzompa, Bonifacio Aguilar Linda, recognized
that the people of his municipality organized themselves as autodefensas after they were victims of
organized crime, “I’m reminding the governor of the state, and to put a name,
whatever it may be, autodefensas,
community police, or night surveillance, but it’s true.”
In an
interview in Fortín de las Flores, they warned that the “degenerates” that harm
the people of his municipality are located in the neighboring municipality of Acultzingo,
so he warned that anyone who intends to travel to Soledad Atzompa, to visit, or
do good, will be well received, but those who go with other intentions, “will
not leave free”.
“They
keep killing innocent people from Soledad Atzompa, they keep on disappearing
and kidnapping our people, this first message is for the governor; the next one
is for the Secretary of Public Security in the state, Arturo Bermúdez”.
The
citizen gave the interview right there, in front of all his people, using the
microphone and speakers so that everyone can hear the questions and answers, “We
are going to propose that the State Academy allow us to send 50 youths so that
they can train them, and after graduating, they will come back and work in
order to ensure a small peace of mind to the families of the municipality.”
He added
that they should be youths who can live from the fees or bonuses that the state
government gives them for their work, “but those who are once again creating
the autodefensas in Soledad Atzompa,
that is, is the entire municipality.”
He further explained that 20 days ago, they met with representatives from the Mexican Navy, Civil Force, Federal Police, State Police, and Ministerial Police, who were asked to set up camps along the stretch of road Mendoza-Acultzinapa, where there is an entrance to Atzompa to Tecamalucan, but they refused to do so.
In response to this, “the citizens will remain
vigilant”, so they committed themselves to make rounds along the stretch of
road of Ciudad Mendoza, Porfiadas, Tecamalucan, Aguaxinola, Puente de
Guadalupe, Acultzingo, and Puerto del Aire, but they are not going to set up
camps.
He
reiterated the concern of the people of his town to the facts that they won’t
allow them to “continue kidnapping or killing our people of Soledad Atzompa”.
When asked if the autodefensas are armed, he said: “Sometimes it doesn’t suit the
state government to hear where they are created or where they were created,
such as in Guerrero or Michoacán, where the autodefensas
were created. They defend themselves
with what they have, with shovels, picks, machetes, handguns, rifles, but Soledad
Atzompa is going to do it again.”
He said
that to date, they (organized crime) killed a citizen of Atzompa, “an innocent
who came from Puebla, by Puerto del Aire, they stole his truck. In recent days, criminals have chased people
from Soledad Atzompa, but we are organizing with strength, and we are certain
we will not allow criminals in Atzompa”.
He
recalls that his municipality has more than 29,000 inhabitants, of which only
men participate in the autodefensas. He also points out that they will make plans
to see if they can make an incursion in operations by the Mexican Navy and
Federals, those who are willing to guide in their tours throughout the
municipality, so that they can do their surveillance work.
“The degenerates
are in the municipality of Acultzingo, not in Soledad Atzompa and we are not
going to allow them,” “Watch out for those people who want to cause harm to
Atzompa, they will not leave free.”
Atzompa
is an peaceful town open to anyone who wants to visit to work, to stroll, but
peacefully, without doing anything bad. “The
people receive visitors with open arms,” he said, but he acknowledges that it
is necessary to identify yourself first, before entering.
After
this interview, the mayor went to talk to the governor, Javier Duarte de
Ochoa, in the Municipal Palace of Fortín.
Mayor of Soledad Atzompa Warned Of Being Denounced
The mayor
of Soledad Atzompa, Bonifacio Aguilar Linda, can be denounced and legally tried
for having caused the blocking of highways and creating autodefensa groups in the state, revealed Alfonso Neri, a representative
of the Veracruz State Government.
Just curious to know, what organize crime is known to be in the region?
ReplyDeleteLos Zetas & CJNG I believe
DeleteHas anyone ever read 'Drug War Capitalism' by Dawn Paley? It gets into pretty interseting 'big picture' stuff about how the drug war is simply a means for gov to militarize and displace people who live on resource rich land to clear the way for US and other transnational companies....rings very true when you look at how horrible Tamaulipas is and its oil reserves....I know this comment is not that related to this article but I was just curious...the big picture stuff is fascinating and helps connect the dots as to what this whole 'military solution' is truly about...displacing the poor and robbing resources
ReplyDeleteI'm adding that book to my list. I highly recommend Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. It really makes you think about the Drug War throughout the world.
DeleteEl gobierno de Veracruz, set up by fidel herrera beltran aka z1, gladly takes off the mask of civility in defense of their puppet criminals...
ReplyDelete--the marinas and the army, the federal and state police, will do as Javier duarte says, as soon as herrera beltran tells him what is up...
--the governors all over mexico are the designated state capos at the order of El pinchi presidente...
Heads up... Sinaloa boss was killed in Guadalupe Y Calvo... maybe by La Linea
ReplyDelete