Since this Sunday, the state of Michoacan has implemented its fourth pacification plan in 19 years. Claudia Sheinbaum announced, Sunday afternoon, her attempt to extinguish a fire that has been burning and subsiding for decades, but whose calls are directed to the heads of all parties and ideologies. The president presents his reality-imposed initiative, which has hit hard at his optimistic numbers on reducing homicides after the killings of Uruapan mayor, Carlos Manzo, and liminero leader Bernardo Bravo. Omar Garcia Harfush, Minister of Security, described pacifying Michoacán as a “national priority.”
The Executive has issued a strong collective message launched by the Council of Ministers from the National Palace. The event included the participation of all foreign ministers who announced 100 years of measures that ranged from increasing the military presence in the region, new strategies to combat farmer extortion, expanding student scholarships and social support, to investment in public roads and fences.
Sheinbaum emphasized that his plan would allocate public and private investments amounting to about 57 thousand million pesos ($3,000 million), including about 26 thousand million for road infrastructure. The state reported that next year the government will allocate 37,000 million pesos ($2,000 million) for social programs that will benefit 1.5 million people in the state, which has a population of nearly five million people.
The mandate affirmed: “We are still continuing with further Republican austerity to allocate the entire city of Mexico. There is a special effort for the residents of Michoacan.” Sheinbaum says he will provide personal follow-up on the plan each week and will report monthly on progress at his morning news conference.
The government’s announcement comes amid a wave of social discontent sparked by the killing of Manzo, an independent politician who decided to take responsibility for his municipality’s insecurity problems into his own hands. I have been silenced by a 17-year-old killer, allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in a state with more than 4,600 military personnel responsible for security duties.
The crime sparked widespread protests demanding the resignation of Morencita Governor Alfredo Ramirez Pedulla. Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, caught in her dead husband’s position, later warned him in a competitive demonstration: “In 2027, we will give this vote to punishment because we will make his memory count.”
Pedulla devoted a few moments of his speech to the emotional moment happening in Michoacán. The governor, who suffered physically from the periodic violence of the state he rules, stressed that “the protests are a legitimate cry of pain and a starting point.” “40 years ago, in the same Uruapan, I taught a priest, a lawyer specialized in profession and income. I feel more than I believe in the color of violence. Carlos’s teaching took me back to the past. It is not anger that soothes the soul, but learning to honor those who are not with us today in life,” said the president, who contributed a bit of humanity to an event where employees reviewed personalities and projects.
Sheinbaum supported the three pillars of his plan: security and justice; Economic development, education and culture for peace. The mandate ensures that officials from his government begin a round of consultations this week with various actors from the entity to implement the initiative. Sheinbaum emphasized in his press conference that “peace is not imposed by force, but is built by people, communities, and daily work.”
The proposals incorporating Sheinbaum’s initiative came from a series of tables organized by the state government. Within four days, mayors, businessmen, farmers, educational specialists and members of the Catholic Church were heard. In these exercises, their opinions were also learned. kuarichascommunity security groups formed by Burepecha indigenous people. These autonomous formations, which have the most successful example in the Sheeran community, are a reference for the President of Mexico.
However, the first thing that strengthened the government’s power after the major killings was the armed presence of the security forces. About 400 members of the National Guard arrived in Uruapan. The expansion has increased since the Defense Minister recently arrived in other parts of the entity, such as Tepalcatepec, where confrontations between the army and groups supposedly linked to the new National Guard have been recorded in recent weeks.
The movement is a progression of the items that will arrive in the next few hours. “The state of strength is increasing,” Harfouche said. General Ricardo Trivilla, Minister of Defense, said that 1,980 soldiers arrived last week to reinforce patrols and security missions. In addition, another 4,000 agents will work to prevent organized crime groups from “entering the city of Michoacán,” and to increase surveillance on the borders with the states of Mexico, Jalisco and Colima. There will be a total of 10,500 soldiers who will be present in the entity.
Garcia Harfouche, who will visit the state this week with General Trivilla, also supported the program he is implementing in the face of extortion. This will have an anonymous reporting line with operators specifically focused on Michoacan. In addition, there will be 860 military personnel focused on responding to water complaints and another 820 assigned to limousines.
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