Thursday, August 21, 2008

Lopez Obrador blasts Mex. Prez over crime

Ex-presidential candidate and leading opposition figure Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador harshly criticized a “crime summit” led by Mexico’s government. According to Milenio, Lopez Obrador claimed that Thursday’s meeting of the National Public Security Council was “pure demagoguery” and added:

“The problem will not be resolved with more police, more soldiers, a heavy hand and harsher laws nor can it with demagogic and propaganda-like meetings…

“(The government) cannot resolve the problem nor can they do anything about it because (President Felipe) Calderon is a puppet and his chiefs aren’t willing to change anything in the country and lose their privileges.” - [ed. personal translation]

The conference is set to unite Calderon’s allies and foes to discuss additional measures to cut crime such as permitting anonymous judges to head trials and stiffer penalties against kidnappers.

Sadly, crime in Mexico is seemingly out of control; on Wednesday alone fifteen people were killed in the state of Chihuahua including two minors. For the country’s wealthy, the wake-up call on crime was the kidnapping and murder of a 14-year-old businessman’s son.

Image- BBC News (“A billboard displays a mother's appeal to find her kidnapped son”)

Sources (English)- AFP, BBC News, Sydney Morning Herald, San Diego Union Tribune

Sources (Spanish)-Milenio

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