The autodefensas no one has seen in Apatzingan: Los Blancos de Troya

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Milenio article

UPDATED 11/07/2015 below

[ Subject Matter: Autodefensas, Michoacan, Apatzingan, Los Blancos de Troya
Recommendation: Some historical knowledge of KT and Los Viagras would be useful]

Reporter: Jesus Badillo
The citizen coordinator for Security and Justice in Apatzingan, Francisco Valle Morales, discovered on Facebook, a new alleged group of autodefensas announcing their arrival. The group started with the page "Los Blancos de Troya", but they have been given no respect as no body has seen them.

A survey we made of the population, revealed that nobody had any idea who they are. When this type of situation occurs, people ask who were they before, what are they doing, but all of the population are none the wiser, they have no idea, said the citizen coordinator for integration of Federal, State and Citizen forces, in a telephone interview with Milenio.

The general Vicar or the Apatzingan Diocese, Javier Cortez, said that only one notice had caused concern, because nobody knows who they are, as they are only in one photograph. The citizen coordinator added that he had been speaking with other autodefensa groups, but none of them knew anything about this group.



The difference to the autodefensas that rose in La Ruana with Hipolito Mora, and Tepalcatepec with Dr Mireles Valverde in February of 2013, "Los Blancos Troyanos" maintain their anonymity, there are no visible leaders, the inhabitants of Apatzingan do not recognise them, they don't show their faces to the population, they don't make road blocks, patrols, or marches.

We know from their Facebook photo that they have weapons for exclusive use by the Armed Forces.

The autodefensas, headed by Mora and Mireles were known in their neighbourhoods, and were disarmed before the 10th of May of 2014 by the Federal Government.

The ex-leader of the La Ruana autodefensas said that they didn't know who they are, the men in the Facebook image, but that his impression that they have arms of high calibre, that they will fall foul of the Federal Government of Apatzingan.

He remembers when the autodefensas of La Ruana and Tepalcatepec confronted the Knights Templar in Michoacan, they did it showing their faces and with shotguns.

 " Los Blancos de Troya", no body has seen them. This week passed, in a Facebook page entitled Los Blancos de Troya was displayed a photograph in which five men covered their faces with sombreros and were carrying assault rifles. In front of them on a sun bed are grenade launchers and a Barrett .50 calibre sniper rifle.

In the message that came with the image they advertise about the supposed surge of a group who defend the inhabitants of  Apatzingan from extortion, kidnapping and robberies. "We want an Apatzingan free of cuota, rateros and kidnappers.

Close to the photo, the coordinator for security said that its very difficult to trust in a group that appear with grenade launchers wanting to liberate a village. " The image is very contradictory".

Remember that the Knights Templar and other criminal groups have been trying to seize territories saying that they are going to liberate villages of criminals. "Its a very shoddy formula, we believe that it is a criminal group from outside of Apatzingan, here in order to create chaos".

If its true they are autodefensas they will have to say what they are looking for, because "the zone already is congested with these subjects, whatever war, costs a lot of money and the zone is not in this situation", said Valle Morales.

He said that the name "Los Blancos de Troya" could have links with a member of Los Viagra identified as "El Troyano", who supported the Capo Servando Gomez Martinez "La Tuta", mentioned in his last audio in February, he refers to this criminal.

The coordination group for security and justice look to determine if the photo is real or a montage. "Firstly to create certainty, because now there are speculations. I am waiting to see if there is a new message or something. Until today we put out a simple advert to get attention, no response yet"

Actually the security of Apatzingan is in the hands of the Secretariat for Public Security in Michoacán, the Federal Police in the Army.

Villagers interviewed by telephone affirmed that they had not seen pickups with armed civilians and that security was the same as before.

"I saw the image of Los Blancos Troyanos, and it appears extravagant. One has heard nothing of them here", said Irma. The professor Manuel, mentions that in this colonia there are car jackings and robberies, but their neighbors are organized to patrol the streets.

Personnel of the PGJE of Michoacán affirmed that there is no other evidence to confirm the existence of this group. "We are investigating, there is no other evidence other than the photo on social networks".

Milenio sent messages to the accounts of "Los Blancos de Troya" and "Blancos de Troya" but neither has responded.

Original article in Spanish at Milenio

Blancos de Troya are members of Los Viagras: Jorge Vazquez

[ Subject Matter: Los Blancos de Troya, Michoacán
Recommendation: none ]

Reporter: Rodrigo Caballero
The ex leader of the autodefensa movement in the town of Aguililla, Jorge Vazquez Valencia, assures in an interview that the so called "Los Blancos de Troya" are in reality members of Los Viagra, whom he accuses of "wearing the disguise of autodefensas".

According to Vasquez Valencia, his sources can confirm that pertinent to this group one of them is "El Boto", centre in the facebook photo, who is an operator of Los Viagra in Tierra Caliente.

Jorge Vasquez, in an interview with the Grillonautas website, declared that the worry that they have now been identified as autodefensas, were allies of the Knights Templar Cartel.

"We are very few, the towns that carry legitimate autodefensas, the rest of the autodefensas that were raised by Castillo, the majority are ex Knight Templar", clarified Vazquez Valencia.

The movement spokesman culminated in saying that " the disappearances continue to happen, the executions continue to happen, the kidnappings continue to happen, violence in Michoacán in only lower in official discourse.

 (Otis: The video is in Spanish, I am working on a full translation of his audio)

Original article in Spanish at Michoacán 3.0