Federal crimes fell by a third and homicides 10%, says López Obrador

Emir Olivares and Arturo Sanchez

Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday December 31, 2022, p. 7

In his last morning conference of 2022, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador highlighted that so far in his government there has been a 30.1 percent decrease in federal crimes and more than 10 percent in homicides.

In the National Palace he presented a balance, based on official figures, to show the reduction of various crimes.

These are homicides, in the time that we have, compared to the times of previous governments. With (Carlos) Salinas de Gortari, 9.2 percent increase; with (Ernesto) Zedillo, 31.2 decrease; with Vicente Fox, 1.6 magnification; with Felipe Calderón, 192.8 percent increase; with the lawyer (Enrique) Peña Nieto, 59 percent increase, and we have a decrease of 10.6 percent.

He remarked that the all-time high in the country it occurred in the past six-year term, in July 2018, when 3,074 homicides were registered. Meanwhile, in November of the year to be concluded, the figure was 2,350, which is equivalent to a drop of 23.5 percent.

In kidnappings and theft in general and of vehicles, decreases of 69.2, 20 and 40.5 percent are reported in this six-year term, compared to the previous administration.

He asked the governor of the state of Mexico, Alfredo del Mazo –present at the conference– to explain the case of Jorge Claudio, a tamale vendor who lost his life in Cuautitlán Izcalli after a driver who was intoxicated and at high speed hit him. ran over and, despite the evidence, was released.

The local president indicated that he would ask the entity’s prosecutor’s office to review the matter and assured that his administration will provide legal and economic support to the victim’s family. López Obrador expressed his confidence: Alfredo is sensitive, he knows that injustices should not be committed.

The President added that the journalist and activist Irving García, arrested in October 2022 on charges of alleged extortion and express kidnapping of a child, was about to be released.

Guaranteed to be given all the protection you need Cecilia Flores, a search mother from Sonora, threatened by organized crime.

He also assured that he will ask the Oaxaca authorities for attention for the murder of Alexander Martínez, at the hands of a municipal police officer from Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, and that the detention two years ago of the indigenous activist Kenia Hernández, accused of various crimes because as a protest measure, he released the steps in several booths.

Given the cascade of cases and accusations that were presented yesterday at the conference, López Obrador made it clear that it is a space for circular dialogue in which opinions are expressed without censorship. “But that does not mean that what is being said here is the absolute truth, and that we do not want to turn these mornings into a court of summary trials, much less political lynching. (…) Many names can be mentioned, but that does not mean that they are already guilty. And everyone has the right to defense and reply.”