In Huitzilac, an inter-institutional and inter-state plan is being developed to inhibit the operation of criminal groups, explains the Secretary of Security.
Authorities in Morelos asserted that the state is a safe tourist destination, and while they acknowledged that the Zempoala Lagoons are a vulnerable area due to their topographical conditions, they are already working on an inter-institutional and inter-state plan to inhibit the operation of criminal groups in the area.
Following the security alert issued by the Canadian government advising its citizens to avoid visiting this ecotourism destination, located in the municipality of Huitzilac and bordering the State of Mexico, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Miguel Ángel Urrutia Lozano, emphasized that during the first 13 months of the current state administration, effective actions were taken to prevent and combat crime, and proof of this is that only the Zempoala Lagoons, and not the entire state, were included in the security alert issued by the Canadian government.
“Without a doubt, I believe that perhaps last year, if we hadn’t done this joint work of issuing alerts, there would have been a widespread alert for the state of Morelos, which didn’t happen,” he said.
Urrutia Lozano affirmed that the state is a peaceful and safe place for national and international visitors, but acknowledged that the Zempoala Lagoons remain a vulnerable point, since their mountainous terrain complicates telecommunications. However, in coordination with the National Guard and Military Zones 22 and 24 (State of Mexico and Morelos), they have established permanent checkpoints and control points in this border area, which deters criminal activity and creates the conditions for tourists to visit the Zempoala Lagoons National Park, a protected natural area since 1936 that covers 4,790 hectares.
The state security official announced that, as part of the security strategy in Morelos, highway checkpoints will be installed to reinforce video surveillance in the southern region, specifically along the border with the state of Guerrero; on the highway known as Cañón de Lobos, which connects the municipalities of Jiutepec and Yautepec; and in the northern region, in the communities of Fierro del Torro and Coajomulco, as well as on the access roads to Las Lagunas de Zempoala.
At the end of the weekly security press conference, the Secretary of Government, Édgar Maldonado Ceballos, affirmed that the state government respects the security recommendations made by other countries and emphasized that Morelos is not only one of the most popular tourist destinations, but that authorities work daily to preserve peace and ensure it is a safe place for its visitors.
Retail Chain Refuses to Cooperate with Security Measures
On another matter, the Secretary of Public Security, Miguel Ángel Urrutia Lozano, revealed that the Walmart retail chain not only fails to report robberies at its facilities, but also refuses to cooperate with authorities by denying them access to information and video surveillance footage of criminal activity.
After the recent armed robbery of customers in the parking lot of the Sam’s Club in Cuernavaca, owned by this supermarket chain, went viral, he stated that in this and other incidents, the establishment did not provide information or file any reports. The same occurred with another crime at the Aurrerá branch in Temixco.
He indicated that he will request information through the Private Security Directorate of the SSPC (Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Protection) regarding the retail chain’s lack of cooperation.
In contrast, he highlighted that another commercial chain located in La Selva, in whose parking lot a customer was the victim of a car window smash and the theft of a computer, gave full cooperation and immediately provided surveillance images to locate the perpetrators of the robbery and damage to the vehicle.
Source: launion
