Posted on 08/01/2005 7:42:53 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
NUEVO LAREDO It must be the vicious drug cartel turf battles.
Mexican citizens safety in Texas. The U.S. Consulate closes for a week.
And a much-touted federal program, known as "Mexico Seguro," either works or doesnt work, depending to whom one speaks.
Mayor Daniel Peña Treviño said "Mexico Seguro," or "Safe Mexico," is a program that is being applied in steps and should not be considered a "magic wand" that would halt cartel violence in its tracks.
"We not saying the program is a success and that there will be no more deaths, but we have made advances," Peña Treviño said. "We have not met the programs goals yet due to criminal activity."
"Safe Mexico" is an anti-crime program put into operation by President Vicente Fox on June 11. Despite its lofty goals, organized crime activity has continued.
Maria Riquelme and her husband, a businessman, like thousands of other families, have left the city due to the ongoing drug turf battles.
The Riquelmes have seen first-hand the bloody aftermaths of gunfights due to their residence being close to recent criminal activity.
"How can the authorities ignore the state of war that exists in the city?" Riquelme asked. "What are the soldiers and police doing about it? Were leaving because were terrified."
Secretary of Federal Public Security Ramon Martin Huerta, Peña Treviño, Mexican Consul in Laredo Daniel Hernandez Joseph, and Federal Preventive Police commander C. Gutierrez all downplayed the violence that has resulted in more than 100 homicides this year.
They all pointed to the success of "Safe Mexico" and how criminal activity has diminished in the time the program has been in effect.
However, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza recently issued another travel advisory warning American citizens about visiting Mexico, especially Nuevo Laredo, due to the ongoing violence.
In addition, the ambassador announced Friday the temporary closing of the Consulate in Nuevo Laredo after a vicious battle Thursday night in the upscale Campestre neighborhood involving assault rifles and other heavy weaponry lasting about 20 minutes. Another battle took place several hours later in another area of the city.
Combatants used bazookas, fragmentation grenades and a variety of firearms, causing the U.S. Department of State to suspend operations and evaluate the security of personnel assigned to the Consulate in Nuevo Laredo.
On the other hand, the secretary of Exterior Relations of Mexico responded in a memo disagreeing with Garzas decision to close the Consulate in Nuevo Laredo.
The secretary stated in the memo that it will provide security to residents and visitors to Mexico, but added the United States needs to combat violence within its jurisdiction, as well.
The memo also states it disagrees with Traveler Advisories issued by the United States regarding the situation on the border, and urges bilateral cooperation in ending criminal activity on the border.
Peña Treviño defended "Safe Mexico" during an interview, but said it was not effective in Thursday nights Campestre shootout due to what he said was federal law enforcements late arrival at the scene.
"Residents swamped me with phone calls asking why federal law enforcement did not immediately respond to stop the confrontation and arrest those involved. The authorities could have been there in three to five minutes," Peña Treviño said.
Then the mayor wondered aloud that if the authorities cannot respond to emergency calls on a timely basis, could they be considered as part of the strategy to combat criminal activity?
He then answered his own question.
"Federal forces could not arrive during the shootout (in the Campestre Subdivision) because they were on the other side of the city," Peña Treviño said. "We have a plan in place, but (the news media) consider it to be one of timidity."
He added members of the criminal organizations are trained, intelligent, plan their moves and are well armed.
In Thursday nights Campestre confrontation a city councilman who lives near the house where the shoot-out took place confirmed neither the Army nor other federal authorities intervened during the shooting.
"They came after the shooting stopped. That is to say, everybody had left," the councilman said, asking not to be identified.
Peña Treviño said the U.S.s travel advisories, warning Americans not to travel to Nuevo Laredo, bothered him.
"Ive told Tony Garza (U.S. ambassador) to tell (Americans) not to use drugs nor deal arms to Mexico," Peña Treviño said. Its the weapons shipments from the United States that is causing us so much violence."
The mayor said it was the U.S. government allowing what he called arms trafficking to Mexico that is creating problems.
"The weapons used in Thursdays incident were obtained from our neighbors," he said.
Nevertheless, he admitted that hundreds of Nuevo Laredoans have left the city, and that commerce and tourism have been devastated by the crime wave.
"We are losing our visitors from San Antonio, Houston Dallas and other areas of Texas, wherever they come from," Peña Treviño said. "Its a sad situation that exists."
Hernandez Joseph said, in his opinion, that "Safe Mexico" is working to combat the crime wave in the city.
He said that while he accepts violence will continue, great strides have been made against it.
And federal police commander Gutierrez said the border area does not have to feel it is at the mercy of criminal activity, pointing out Sinaloa state officials report up to five homicides daily.
Gutierrez said the crime wave is a product of the news media, in that reporters are creating scandals where there are none.
Gutierrez insisted the city was calm, tourists were traveling to the city, and that he knows this is so because he sees them shopping in the historical district downtown.
(Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.)
(Miguel Timoshenkov can be reached at 728-2585, or by email at timo1@lmtonline.com)
Some of those reporters are now DEAD, commander!
"SAFE MEXICO" -- now there is another oxymoron for my collection!!!
Mexico Seguro Pingo!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
I am working in an industrial park in Reynosa. I drive from McAllen TX to this park on the Monterrey-Reynosa highway. The federales set up a choke point near the Villa Florida Industrial Park, supposedly to check vehicles for the bad guys. Most of the time the soldiers just sat in the shade not paying any attention to the traffic. Safe Mexico is nothing more than a PR stunt. It will do nothing to stop the violence.
I'd be willing to bet that some of the federales were already on the scene!
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