Militarization has wasted money and failed to decrease violence
by Notimex
Today the strategy of Joint Operation Chihuahua is changing in Ciudad Juarez, where groups of soldiers who patrol the streets will stop doing so in order to devote themselves to military intelligence and policing activities.
The Chihuahua state Secretary of Public Security, Víctor Valencia de los Santos, announced that the decision was made after a meeting with federal Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna.
He added that violent incidents with a large number of victims that have been occurring since this past June forced him to travel to Mexico City to meet with the federal secretary of Public Security.
He stated that the thousands of soldiers and municipal police have not done anything other than march through the whole city daily, and that surveillance strategy has not produced results other than "it winds up being too expensive in terms of gasoline and diesel consumption alone."
All that in addition to the costs of feeding and housing the troops that come from other parts of the country.
He said that provided that García Luna will be in Juarez next week, he will give orders to those in charge of Joint Operation Chihuahua so that beginning today that system of surveillance in the streets is ended.
He reiterated that, in the future, investigation and intelligence operations will be undertaken, mainly under the control of the Military Police, which is already in Ciudad Juarez.
Since the inauguration of Joint Operation Chihuahua in April 2008, about 2,026 soldiers, 180 tactical vehicles, and three military aircraft have participated in permanent patrols.
Moreover, 425 Federal Police, 63 agents from the Federal Attorney General's Public Prosecutor's Office, and eight from the Assistant Secretary General's Office for Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (SIEDO) [operated in Juarez].
After the publication of Valencia de Los Santos' statements in Chihuahua press, that official elaborated, "The changes that could be made in Joint Operation Chihuahua will be made according to what is needed, but without previous notice due to the operation's strategy."
he said that it will be National Defense Ministry authorities, who are in charge of the operation, who will determine the changes and actions that will occur.
He noted that although he met with federal Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna, he is unable to divulge the details of the meeting.
The state official reiterated that it will be military authorities who will determine if there will be changes to Joint Operation Chihuahua.
Translated by Kristin Bricker
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Mexico drug wars
Submitted July 28, 2009 - 12:16 pm by Dan (not verified)Over the past years, a conscious and learned public has turned the tide against destructive elements of particular industries; namely child sweatshop labor in the garment industry and slave labor in the diamond industry. prior to this, an unaware public funneled countless dollars into the perpetuation of these practices.
sooo...considering the amount of 'peace stickers' i see next to 'pot stickers' on the bumpers of certain cars...
what do you think it would take for a peace loving, pot smoking public to do in order to change the status quo, namely funneling billions of dollars into the pockets of cartels who ultimately kill thousands and cripple entire regions in mexico as they fight to hold onto control of all that wonderful american drug money...or is it hopeless-pot smokers are an immoral, depraved lot who have no concern over the end result of their purchasing habits, as long as those habits are satiated??!
how were we able to get the public to turn their backs on sweatshop labor, yet unable to turn the smoking public's attention on the horrendous deaths caused in mexico?