Monday, August 23, 2010

Mexican President Discusses Crime Fight with Le Monde

Presidency of the Republic

President Felipe Calderón:

When I assumed the Presidency of Mexico in December 2006, I encountered a situation of growing insecurity in various points in the country, which the authorities at the time had failed to deal with. In addition, the institutions in charge of security and justice, particularly at the state and municipal levels, were weakened by the cooption and intimidation of criminal organizations.

In certain areas, violence had increased as a result of the struggle between criminal organizations.

At present, nine out of ten murders occur among members of criminal gangs. It is true that the most violent murders have been publicized worldwide. However, this violence is primarily the result of the fight that certain criminal groups are waging against others within the framework of a process of instability caused by confrontation and internal rupture, as well as the federal government's determined action which has weakened them and made them more vulnerable to the forces of justice.

My government has decided to deal with the problem, rather than avoiding it. That is why we have implemented an integral strategy designed to put an end to criminal action. The national security strategy includes five pillars.

1.     Joint Operations to Support Local Authorities and Citizens

The presence of a higher force was required to eliminate the threat of organized crime and help local authorities preserve order. That is why we have deployed federal police and the armed forces in specific regions in the country in order to reinforce the presence of the authorities.

We have weakened the logistic and financial structures of crime as never before. We have also severely damaged all of the criminal organizations.

2.    Extension of Operational and Technological Capacities of State Forces

Since the start of this administration, we have attempted to extend the technical and operative capacities of federal police. We have multiplied the number of its members and institutionalized reliability tests. We now have a better trained, better equipped and better paid police force. We have also introduced “Platform Mexico,” thanks to which we have progressed towards the reinforcement of the Single Criminal Information System, a powerful criminal intelligence data base shared by federal, state and municipal authorities.

3.    Reform of Legal and Institutional Frameworks

We have launched an unprecedented effort to modernize and redesign our legal framework. We have also undertaken a constitutional reform of the criminal justice system, which will provide Mexico with a system of simplified and far more transparent oral procedures, as well as the adoption of a system of protection of victims’ rights. This is a crucial instrument for doing away with impunity once and for all.

4.    An Active Crime Prevention Policy

Although the police component is crucial, we realize that it is also necessary to support the social component. We have therefore also made every effort to create trust among citizens and to promote a culture of crime prevention, legality and denunciation. We are trying to boost security in schools, recover public areas that were controlled by criminals, and open up centers for the prevention and treatment of addictions.

5.    Reinforcement of International Cooperation

Our strategy includes international cooperation measures, including the Merida Initiative, which marks the start of a new stage of cooperation with the United States, a country that has admitted that organized crime is a common problem and that it is important to fight, in a jointly responsible and combined way, against transnational organized crime.

I know that what is happening in Mexico today may give the wrong impression about the extent of insecurity in the country. However, what is actually happening is that we are establishing order where previously there was none. So if you can see dust, it means we’re doing our housecleaning.

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Press Release: Presidency of the Republic, August 16, 2010, Mexico, D.F.; translation Presidency of the Republic