Salazar’s criticism
Ken Salazar, United States ambassador, assured today that the security strategy “Hugs, not bullets”, implemented by the government of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, did not work and today Mexico has a serious insecurity problem.
“The strategy of hugs, not bullets, did not work. The part of the concept that is valid is prevention, but those are programs that must be followed, programs that we support a lot from the United States, Sembrando Vida, Sembrando Oportunidades, other programs for small business owners, all that prevention is very important,” he stated at a press conference.
The representative of Joe Biden’s government criticized the fact that Mexico ensures “that there is no problem” regarding insecurity.
“The reality is that the people of Mexico, and these are businessmen, members of the press, are those who work on the corner, are those who have ranches, are like the cowboy from Sinaloa who was killed this weekend because he was a leader , they do not live in security and that has to be seen very clearly. “It is a very serious problem in Mexico,” he said.
The government of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ended as the most violent in the history of Mexico, exceeding 200,000 homicides and femicides in the five years and 10 months it lasted.
The then federal president based his security strategy on addressing the causes and one of the phrases he repeated to refer to his security policy was “hugs, not bullets.”
Mexico needs US cooperation
The ambassador considered that Mexico requires the help of the United States to face the problem of insecurity that leaves more than 80 intentional homicides a day and accused that the help offered to him was not accepted in the government of former President López Obrador.
“The previous president did not want to receive support from the United States. “He closed the door to investments of over $22 billion because he did not want the investment to reach Mexico to help with insecurity,” he stated.
The then president López Obrador commented that Donald Trump’s government offered him collaboration when the multiple homicides of the LeBaron and Langsford families were recorded, however, he rejected it.
This Wednesday, Salazar stated that for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s strategy to be successful, the cooperation of the United States is necessary.
“There is a very big (insecurity) problem in Mexico and that is why President Sheinbaum’s plan has to be successful and in that plan, in part, what they have to work on is the relationship between Mexico and the United States. “It cannot remain in the explanations of the past,” he indicated.
