After six years of the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, he is accused of being one of the federal administrations with high rates of violence and serious crimes, which continue to increase and affect the tranquility of South Californians, which have increased by 25% compared to the previous six-year term, which translates into almost 200 thousand intentional homicides throughout the country.
Francisco Pelayo Covarrubias, federal deputy for Baja California Sur, stated that the militarization strategy implemented by the administration of the former president, with the incorporation of the National Guard to the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) does not solve the problems of insecurity in the country.
“We have had the military in the streets for six years, we cannot hide the sun with a finger, and absolutely nothing has happened.”
STRENGTHEN LOCAL CORPORATIONS
He also pointed out the importance of strengthening municipal and state police corporations, granting them autonomy and the necessary resources to confront crime.
“We want our municipal and state police forces to be strengthened. Today, unfortunately, they are subjugated, they are literally drivers of the Armed Forces.”
In his opinion, the lack of investment in local police forces and their dependence on the military forces weakens the response capacity of these corporations to security problems in communities such as Comondú.
“We need to have committed police officers, with good salaries, with good training and with the necessary equipment to safeguard their lives and those of their families,” insists Pelayo, who also underlines the need to recover the figure of the local police officer, who serves citizens as the first responder.
COMPARISONS WITH PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS
During his speech, Pelayo Covarrubias recalled that, during the administration of the former PAN governors, violence also hit the state, but he assures that “peace was restored” in a short time.
“We had an incident that we regret very much, related to the fight between cartels, but in a few months peace was restored. In comparison with the federal administration, in those six years they have done nothing to solve the problem, they still have no tangible results.”
In addition, he criticized the discourse of the current state government, led by Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, stating that “it continually blames past administrations for the security problems that the country faces.”
“They have spent six years looking for excuses and blaming previous governments. It is time for concrete actions to be taken to solve what we have today.”
DISAPPEARANCES AND THE REALITY OF COMONDÚ
The deputy also placed special emphasis on the disappearances that continue to affect the country, and assures that in BCS it continues to be a reality that has been neglected.
“There are about 1,800 missing people, according to information provided by groups and other institutions. Despite these alarming figures, the López Obrador administration has not acted with the necessary firmness to confront this crisis.”
In the specific case of Comondú, the federal legislator added that there is a debt and a need for a “firm hand” to be exercised on issues of insecurity in that municipality.
“This is a problem that is not limited only to Comondú, it is present throughout Baja California Sur and throughout Mexico. It is urgent that the necessary measures be taken to restore the security that citizens demand.”
CREATION OF THE NATIONAL GUARD IN MEXICO
On November 14, 2018, during the transition process of López Obrador, the creation of a new security body was announced: the National Guard. For its formation, it was necessary to approve a reform to the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States.
Originally, this body was conceived as a hybrid force, with personnel trained by the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR), although its command fell to the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, and it was in charge of absorbing military, naval and federal police, along with a civilian recruitment process.
The first official deployment of the National Guard occurred on April 27, 2019 in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, after a series of violent confrontations; however, at the national level, on July 2, 2019, the National Guard was officially established. In 2019, a massive deployment began with more than 58,600 elements distributed in 150 of the 266 regional coordinations defined in the National Peace and Security Plan 2018-2024.
According to the administration of the National Guard in Baja California Sur, they expect a registry of around 750 elements that are distributed in the 5 municipalities, with La Paz and Los Cabos at the top of the list.
It should be noted that from the date of creation until the cut-off of this editorial, no government institution and even the State Commission for Human Rights (CEDH) itself has any official complaint file against the elements; however, various complaints were filed on social networks for alleged acts of corruption or mistreatment, the main object being the guards of the National Highway Guard.
UNITY TO FACE INSECURITY
Pelayo also calls for unity between local and state authorities, so that, as public servants, they work together to address the security crisis.
“We are going to support the mayors of the state, as well as the governor. The people themselves pay us, and it is to them that we must be accountable,” he concluded.
Source: elsudcaliforniano
