MEXICO CITY — Citizen “self-defense” groups that have emerged to fight off a ruthless drug cartel in the state of Michoacan should take steps to join the government security apparatus or disarm, Mexican officials said Thursday.
Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said during a press conference in Morelia, the state capital, that government forces have gained the upper hand since thousands of troops and police officers swarmed the western state and arrested several “important criminals” associated with the Knights Templar drug cartel.
Mexico calls on self-defense groups to join police or disarm.
So basically is a case of “Well yes, we couldn’t protect you. You had to face the Bad Guys, you won and now you need to get back to be obedient victims or else.”
Now, the interesting part is that this is about the third or fourth week in a row that the government has been calling for the self-defense group to disarm but it seems that the calls are not being respected.
One wonders what the future holds.
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Also, if people defend themselves it’s harder to pay them off. When the only people who have the capability of fighting back are easily identified by their uniforms, government paycheck, and chain of command it’s easier to gather them together and make the case that it is better to take money and not stop crime than it is to not take money and stop a bullet instead. Plomo o Plata, I believe is the phrase.
It is in both the governmental interest AND the criminal interest that peace officers be solely employed by the government and not be self organizing militia units capable of identifying and combating the criminal elements. The government retains authority and the criminals maintain their balance of terror. It’s a win-win. Neither one cares how the people feel. Who are they going to vote for? And who is going to respect their votes when they do vote?
Sean, it’s usually phrased the other way around: “Plato o plomo”. Just like in English, where we put the carrot before the stick. 🙂