Claudia Sheinbaum’s security strategy has a new element that, according to the president, will make history in the country and in the world. It is the program ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to peace’, which consists of exchanging weapons for money.
Years after carrying out the same plan in Mexico City, during her time as Head of Government, the president explained that the objective of the weapons exchange is to address the causes of violence in Mexico.
According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the weapons exchange in Mexico will help prevent and reduce injuries, accidental deaths, homicides, feminicides, among other crimes.
One objective of the weapons exchange in Mexico is to reduce the number of crimes. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar)
“This program ‘Yes to Disarmament, yes to Peace’ is going to make history in the country and it will also make history to show the entire world that in Mexico we are building justice and we are building peace,” said Sheinbaum.
The president explained that the exchange of weapons began on January 10 in the atrium of the Basilica of Guadalupe. She added that people can go to that module and hand over firearms, ammunition or explosives, as well as artillery pieces, grenades and homemade devices.
How does the weapons exchange program work?
When talking about the program ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to peace’, Sheinbaum Pardo highlighted that those who attend one of the exchange modules will not face legal consequences.
People interested in receiving money in exchange for the delivery of weapons must only go to one of the modules and present the weapons. To find out the location, you must consult the calls, in which the days, hours and location of the weapon delivery points in Mexico will be defined.
What will they do with the weapons delivered in the program ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to peace’?
Once citizens hand over guns, ammunition, explosives and other items, these will be analyzed and confiscated by the Ministry of National Defense.
Most of the weapons will be destroyed; however, an inspection will be carried out and it will be determined if any of these objects have “historical, cultural, scientific or artistic value, likely to be destined for the museum collection” of the Sedena.
In the event that any of the weapons do meet these characteristics, “they will be preserved to be made available to the corresponding military authorities,” according to the decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (c).
The destination of each weapon will be established in the reports of reception and destruction of weapons along with the description of the characteristics of the piece.
President Claudia Sheinbaum pointed out that the program ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to peace’ can also benefit children and adolescents through the delivery of war toys such as pistols or machine guns, to exchange them for educational toys and according to their age.
Minors also participate in the exchange of weapons, by giving away war toys. (Government of Mexico)
“The objective is that no boy or girl has a toy that has to do with violence, with a weapon. Why teach our sons or daughters something that has to do with violence? We replace a war toy with an educational one or with another type,” explained the president.
The weapons exchange program in Mexico is nationwide; however, priority municipalities were identified in Baja California, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Guerrero and Tabasco.
How much money do they give in the exchange of weapons?
To know the amount that they will give you in the exchange of firearms for money, it is important to know that the weapons are divided into up to nine ranges, according to the guidelines established in the DOF. The prices vary according to the type of weapon and its caliber.
The first includes homemade weapons, modified sports and 3D; as well as weapons of war. In the second rank are handguns.
In the third and fourth ranks are long weapons. In the fifth rank are artillery pieces, while in the sixth are grenades and explosives.
The weapons that are classified in the seventh rank are cartridges, while in the eighth are compressed gas and air weapons. The last includes ‘Others’ such as ammunition storage devices, known as magazines.
They are also divided into serviceable and unusable weapons, and the price for the former ranges from 12 pesos for cartridges and up to 25 thousand pesos for semi-automatic and automatic rifles of all brands.
For unusable weapons, prices range from 25 pesos to 13 thousand 390 for artillery pieces, including all ranges.
Source: elfinanciero
