Mexico is the same as Iraq and Afghanistan in the peace indez, EPN and Osorio Chong are going for the 50 most violent cities

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

Subject Matter: Endemic violence in Mexico
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required

Mexico is located 140 of 163 in the global peace index prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace. In the last year it has a record of 33,000 deaths, which puts the country to the same level of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also located in the list of 33 countries whose economies are impacted most by violence with the loss of 13% of its gross domestic product, calculated to this year. The same day, the Federal Government announced the implementation of a strategy in the most violent cities of the country to reverse its position and prevent further escalation of crime.

Reporter Sinembargo Redaction.

Mexico registered 33,000 deaths in 2015, which qualified it in 140 place of 163 countries evaluated in the Global Peace Index, a position that is only 20 places from conflict countries like Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

The reports measure that country is below the world average, because of militarization, deaths related to organized crime and common crime.

The same day, in marking the 40th session of the National Council for Public Security, in the Federal Government, and in coordination with local authorities, they announced the implementation of a strategy for the most violent cities in the country to reverse the situation and reverse the trend in escalating criminal incidences.

In the presentation of the Global Peace Index of 2016, they elaborated the details that Mexico is close to the levels present in Iraq and Afghanistan for the numbers of deaths due to internal conflicts and the criminal organizations that confront the country.

Mexico also figured in the list of 30 countries with a major economic impact because of violence with a loss of 13% of its gross domestic product, 2.2 billion pesos, that is the equivalent of 17,000 pesos per inhabitant, calculated this year.

They calculate the direct and indirect cost of the violence, for example, fear, insecurity, how much people will go out onto the streets, go to the shops, factors that also affect the economy.

Patricia De Obeso, representing the Institute for Economics and Peace, said that " its like a tax on security that is imposed on us," which is not working.

She mentioned that the country should decide where to put the priority on peace, "if you want to keep confronting the violence head on as we have over the last few years, or really want to think about investing more in positive peace measures."

According to estimates of the IEP, citizens have a virtual tax to maintain security in the country.

Obeso said interpersonal violence far outweighs that generated by organized crime, when one considers that 39% of the economic impact is due to the homicide rate and only half has to do with organized crime.

"The killings and crimes are symptoms of what we are experiencing, that is, the good or bad functioning of the government, and how safe citizens feel to go and file a complaint," she said.

In the index, compiled by the IEP, 23 indicators are defined: 10 of them concerning the number of refugees and people displaced by violence, seven are based on militarization and police presence, and six are internal and international conflicts.

According to the study, peace in Mexico is hampered by corruption, malfunction of the government and the murder of journalists. "Mexico, has the potential to be much better, when one views how its institutions are designed, we must be able to develop the countries potential," Dr Obeso said.

Antonio Mazzitelli, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, urged the government of Mexico to reduce corruption by implementing a national anti-corruption system.

"Mexico has carried out a number of important reforms that are hopefully soon to be implemented with the active participation of civil society and the private sector," he said.

While marking the 40th session of the National Council for Public Security, the Federal Government, in coordination with local authorities, will implement a strategy in the most violent cities of the country to reverse the situation and prevent criminal incidences.

According to information given out by the President of the Republic, the 50 cities where the strategy will be applied, are where 40% of the violent homicides registered in the country contribute.

In his participation, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, head of SEGOB, said " that its urgent to strengthen its capacity locally", in order that the State and municipal governments can "strengthen the security of the population",  for who he exhorted to all levels of government to immediately work together and leave aside any differences".

In the same manner, the functionary manifested that every instance of Government was called to transcend the situation and political calenders, in the interest of implementing long term projects, to decrease criminal indexes and to confront crimes and crimes of common law.

In the event led by EPN, Osorio Chong also said that during the current administration the PRI strategy has worked, since it dealt with a State policy of combating violence and crime as part of the effort of the Security Cabinet to address the "crisis of insecurity".

In that sense, he uttered that under this "new vision" of stewardship "key institutions" were created and set in motion with various mechanisms of coordination between Federal and State authorities that " no State is alone in the task of tackling crime".

The guidelines of the strategy include the social prevention of crime, the strengthening of the institutions of public security, as well as the frontal combat against organized criminal groups.

Despite recognizing advances in security, that in accordance with SEGOB translates as a containment of the criminal incidence that has returned to levels seen 7 years ago, "the phenomenon has recovered in some areas of the country" as part of the common law, a situation that was proposed based on strengthening local situations.

This session held in the National Palace, also involving officials from the Federal Security Cabinet and Governors of various States, are expected to develop State crime prevention centres; and standardize procedures of prosecution and follow up of cases of criminal incidence, the formation of groups with members of civil society and the Academic members who monitor the programs involved with funding from the public purse, the entry into force of the 911 to a national level and new guidelines for the criminal justice system.

The National council of public security is the highest body of the executive secretariat of the national system of public security, and is chaired by the president of the republic, and composed of secretaries of the interior, national defence, Navy, public safety, the attorney general, the State governors, head of government of federal district and the executive secretary of the snsp.

In July there were 1842 intentional homicides in the country, a figure 26% higher than the same period in 2015 of 1457, while kidnapping went from 77 to 106 in the same period, 37 percent more, according to the latest figures published by the executive secretariat of the national system of public security (SNSP).

Original article in Spanish at Sinembargo

Otis: On another note, this will be my last article for Borderland Beat. I have at times enjoyed translating and writing articles for this site, and have enjoyed having some of the other reporters and forum members as colleagues. I wish everyone, readers and staff well for the future and hope that Borderland Beat goes from the strength to strength. My reasons for leaving are my own and are not up for discussion. To Chivis, you will always remain my friend, I hold you in the highest esteem, you are a true warrior for the truth and I think you certainly deserve an award for services to journalism. To those who have helped me with information and have collaborated with me such as narcomics, thank you immensely for your support.