Resolving insecurity takes time, and this is what is happening in the Central American country where the appropriate course is being taken to tackle the most concerning problem for residents. In fact, the 16.3% decrease in the rate of intentional homicides from September to December shows the effectiveness of the strategy in terms of security.
The data has drawn attention, especially because this decrease coincides with the first three months of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term, who emphasised the importance of this drop and defined the actions from the cabinet dedicated to this area as a great work.
Upon presenting those results in recent days, Marcela Figueroa, the head of the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, stated that December was the month in 2024 with the lowest number of victims of this crime, totalling a daily average of 72.8.
Furthermore, she revealed a reduction in these crimes in six of the seven states that make up half of the country’s murders: in Baja California it decreased by 22.7%; in the State of Mexico by 22.2%; in Chihuahua by 23.8%; in Jalisco by 7.2%; in Guerrero by 15.7%, and in Nuevo León by 56.1%.
Guanajuato was the only place that reported an increase of 3.9%.
Regarding the northern state of Sinaloa, where an increase in violence was recorded from September, the authorities showed a statistically slight slowing in the escalation with a decrease of 13.7% between the highest point, in October, and last December.
Referring to the daily average of high-impact crimes between last September and December, the official pointed out a decrease across everything: -26.5% in femicide, -19.7% in gunshot injuries, -10.6% in extortion and -4.7% in robberies with violence. Since 1st October, the Government has implemented a national security strategy based on four key points of action: attention to the causes, consolidation of the National Guard, strengthening of intelligence and investigation, and coordination with federal entities. The detention of 7,720 people for high-impact crimes and the seizure of more than 66 tonnes of drugs and a figure in excess of 3,600 firearms in the first 100 days of the government, is attributed to the scope of the plan.
“The drugs seized – which includes 1,168 kilograms and 561,000 tablets of fentanyl – represent more than 60 million doses that will not reach the streets and nor will they be able to destroy the lives of families or young people,” said Omar Garcia, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection.
The battle against the production of illicit substances has also produced potent results: in the entities of Baja California, the State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Sonora, 115 secret laboratories for the production of methamphetamine have been dismantled.
According to Garcia, 148,609 litres and 28,261 kilograms of chemical substances, 157 organic synthesis reactors, 62 condensers and 56 distillers were seized, causing an approximately $1.3 billion financial loss to criminal organisations. In addition to the usually more publicised results, the country’s authorities are also focussing their attention on the causes of violence, as part of which they will allocate more than $38.6 billion to social programmes this year.
Likewise, they are promoting initiatives with the objective of supporting families who find themselves in a vulnerable situation and guarantee conditions of well-being and prosperity, particularly in the most violent municipalities or entities in the nation.
The focus of attention on the causes of the national strategy received another boost the day before, with the start of the program, “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace”, at the capital’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so that citizens can voluntarily and anonymously give up any firearm.
The artifacts will be accepted in units located in the atriums of churches, without any investigation and in exchange for financial remuneration, and destroyed by the Ministry of National Defence. “If there is a weapon in your home, give it up. Financial rewards will be given in exchange, and the weapon will be destroyed. That is the objective of this program: disarmament, for there to be no weapons in our country,” Sheinbaum asserted during the launch.
In addition, war toys will be exchanged for educational-type ones to eliminate items that foster violence among minors. PL
(Translated by Donna Davison – Email: donna_davison@hotmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
.jpg)
