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Crime and Violence reign in Michoacán

The scene showing kidnapped soldiers emphasizes the need to rely on efficient police corporations to face violence

For years, violence and crime have struck Michoacán - Photo: Alan Ortega/REUTERS
28/05/2019 |08:15
Redacción El Universal
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In the last weeks, Michoacán has witnessed shootings , attacks against state police officers , drug cartel members parading through the city, civilians disarming and kidnapping soldiers , while authorities were unable to stop the criminals .

On May 22, violence intensified when a clash between two drug cartels left 10 people dead in Uruapan . Two days later, five people whose bodies had been burnt were found inside a vehicle in the same municipality .

This weekend in Zamora , alleged members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel attacked local police officers ; at least four agents died and seven others were injured. Before the attack, the criminals shared images showcasing their power and dozens of trucks and vehicles through social media .

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In La Huasca , inhabitants attacked and disarmed a group of soldiers , after a clash between soldiers and civilians ; in order to free the soldiers, the inhabitants demanded the restitution of seized weapons, including a 50-caliber Barrett rifle , one of the most powerful ones, with the capacity to shoot a helicopter down .

This is a widely-known story in Mexico : violence increases in a region, federal forces are deployed , and insecurity is contained for a few weeks or months. Yesterday, the Security Plan for Zamora was unveiled, where 350 security “certified” elements from the municipal, state, and federal police , as well as the arm y, will be deployed.

The scene showing kidnapped soldiers e mphasizes the need to rely on efficient police corporations to face insecurity. It is a request that hasn't materialized: the army shouldn't fulfill public security tasks.

Why does organized crime inflicts such violence ? Why are the inhabitants attacking soldiers and making demands to the army ?

Inhabitants

and criminals act this way because they know attacking a police officer or a soldier won't have consequences , as well as thousands of other crimes that aren't punished in the country. The possible solution includes enforcing the law so that everyone respects the rule of law.

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