Sheinbaum announces ‘Plan for Peace and Justice’ to reduce violence in Michoacán

Mexico City (EFE).- Five days after its announcement, the government of Mexico, led by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is seeking to advance the implementation of the «Michoacán Plan for Peace and Justice,» which aims to reduce high rates of violence, crime, and insecurity in the western state.

On Thursday, the Mexican government launched an offensive against at least 12 drug trafficking cartels operating in Michoacán, a state with a population of 4.7 million. According to criminal maps drawn up by the Army, the Prosecutor General’s Office (FGR), and the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).

These groups include the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Tepalcatepec Cartel, Los Blancos de Troya, Los Viagras, the Reyes Cartel, the Caballeros Templarios, the Acahuato Cartel, the La Costa Cartel, the La Familia Michoacana, the Zicuirán Cartel, the Pueblos Unidos, and the Los Correa Cartel

In October, the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo, and the leader of citrus producers, Bernardo Bravo, were murdered there.

The plan, presented by Sheinbaum on Nov. 9, consists of 12 axes in a «comprehensive strategy» for security, with over 100 actions and an investment of over 57 billion Mexican pesos (approximately 3 billion dollars).

The topics are security, economic development and well-being, road and highway infrastructure, drinking water, irrigation and sanitation infrastructure, welfare programs, education, health, housing, culture, plans for women and youth, and justice plans for Indigenous peoples.

Increased Security

The number of agents from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard in the state will increase to 10,506.

In addition, the Security Cabinet will make periodic visits to different municipalities in the state of Michoacán, the first of which took place on Thursday, with the head of Security of Mexico, Omar García Harfuch, leading the way.

The Security Cabinet will also hold «permanent meetings» with lemon and avocado producers to guarantee their security, protect their economic activities, and strengthen confidence in institutions.

In addition, heads of the National Defense Secretariat, Ricardo Trevilla, and the Navy Secretariat, Raymundo Morales, emphasized that the security strategy will be regionalized. Each unit will have a specific function according to the area, criminal group, and method of operation, depending on the type of crime.

Coordination with other states

The plan aims to capture individuals who generate violence and to affect the economic and operational capabilities of criminal groups by seizing drugs and weapons.

The aforementioned will be accomplished through concurrent operations with the territorial commands of the states of Colima, Jalisco, Querétaro, Guanajuato, the State of Mexico, and Guerrero.

The goal is to dismantle organized crime, reduce violence and insecurity indices in Michoacán by arresting first- and second-tier criminal leaders and individuals who generate violence, neutralizing training camps, and destroying clandestine laboratories and safe houses.

Another key aspect is strengthening the Mexican anti-extortion strategy, which aims to make arrests to weaken criminal structures dedicated to extortion, generate investigations that lead to detentions, and implement a protocol to standardize the actions of all authorities. EFE

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