Fight Against Organized Crime/Revocation of Mandate Postponed
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Fight Against Organized Crime/Revocation of Mandate Postponed

Photo by:   https://www.gob.mx/presidencia/galerias/conferencia-de-prensa-del-presidente-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-del-20-de-diciembre-de-2021
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Paloma Duran By Paloma Duran | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Mon, 12/20/2021 - 12:11

SEDENA detains leaders and members of organized crime groups. Minister of National Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval said that during the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, significant progress has been made in the fight against organized crime, especially due to the arrest of several members and leaders of organized crime groups. “So far, 1.078 targets have been arrested based on our intelligence activities. This figure is 106 percent compared to the detainees captured during the previous administration."

According to the most current data provided by the Ministry of National Defense, from December 2018 to September 2021, 113 drug laboratories have been dismantled. Among the high targets detained related to drug trafficking are José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, or “El Marro,” alleged leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel; Santiago Mazari, “El Carrete,” from Los Rojos; and Rosa Linda González Valencia, wife of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel.

Most of the weapons in Mexico come from the US. Sandoval said that in addition to the arrests made during López Obrador’s administration, 26,027 weapons have been seized, of which 70 percent come from the US. “Compared to the previous government, we have seized 80 percent more weapons, most of which are made in the US. The increase in seized weapons is because more people have been arrested during this administration. However, the figures continue to show that the lack of arms regulation continues to pose a great threat to the country."

In October, Mexico filed a lawsuit against US gun manufacturers and distributors because their lack of regulation has increased organized crime and violence in the country. The manufacturers include Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Glock and Ruger. The National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc (NSSF) has rejected Mexico's claims, saying that "the government is responsible for rampant crime and corruption within its own borders." In November, US gun makers asked the US federal court to dismiss the lawsuit as it goes against US national values.

INE postpones the revocation of mandate of López Obrador. López Obrador lamented the decision of INE to postpone the consultation of his revocation of mandate, saying the move represses democratic rights. “INE has dedicated itself to obstructing and not respecting the constitutional mandates, the excuses are secondary to whether they have a budget or not. We must understand that a democratization process is taking place in the country. If we do not carry out the consultation, it is a betrayal of our people and their democratic rights.”

With six votes in favor and five against, INE decided to postpone the revocation of mandate for the 2018-2024 period due to the lack of monetary resources. INE explained that the lack of budget is due to the cut that the Chamber of Deputies made to the body for 2022. The agency stressed that it is not an issue of denying a democratic right but that the body wants to ensure that most of the population wants to hold the referendum. INE said that the consultation could be carried out as planned if there is a modification to the spending budget, which must be instructed by the president.

US to donate more than US$1 billion to address migration issues. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that US Vice President Kamala Harris had confirmed that the US will invest US$1.2 billion to address the main causes of forced migration. “This action by the US government shows that there is interest in addressing the causes of migration, an issue that President López Obrador has promoted, especially with his program Sowing Life.

In November, at the North American Leaders Summit, US President Joe Biden agreed to invest in the Sowing Opportunities program, which was previously proposed by López Obrador to improve the quality of life in Central America and southern Mexico. The new program seeks to create jobs and reactivate Central America and southern Mexico’s local economies by addressing the region's two main problems: rural poverty and environmental degradation. However, according to experts, this is a long-term plan and is not designed to address many of today's problems.

Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish

Photo by:   https://www.gob.mx/presidencia/galerias/conferencia-de-prensa-del-presidente-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-del-20-de-diciembre-de-2021

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