Templarios

Dr. Mireles has drawn the "line in the sand". A 30 day ultimatum.

Mexican 'self-defense' group demands government free prisoners

What will the Presidente do?

So let's take a look at the people Mireles wants turned loose. Well, there's Autodefensas leader Hipolito Mora, who is charged with murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape. And there are the nine guys accused of carrying out the hit ordered by Mora. Then there are the 17 Autodefensas accused of assassinating the mayor of Tanhuato. Let's not forget the 34-man death squad that was arrested in La Ruana in March of 2013 and have been held in preventive detention since.

You really do not believe that Mireles really believes that the government is going to release any of these guys...do you? It's just more hot air from this Mireles blowhard.

Smartalex wrote:So let's take a look at the people Mireles wants turned loose. Well, there's Autodefensas leader Hipolito Mora, who is charged with murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape. And there are the nine guys accused of carrying out the hit ordered by Mora. Then there are the 17 Autodefensas accused of assassinating the mayor of Tanhuato. Let's not forget the 34-man death squad that was arrested in La Ruana in March of 2013 and have been held in preventive detention since.

You really do not believe that Mireles really believes that the government is going to release any of these guys...do you? It's just more hot air from this Mireles blowhard.

Alex, I am not taking sides in this fight.  I am just a strong interest and am only an observer.

Mexico has a long history of rock solid democratic institutions and a transparent judiciary. Mexico's politicians are as squeaky clean as fresh fallen snow.  NOT!!  Mexico has a long way to go in reforming its corrupt and hapless PGR, police and judiciary. Or the powers that be want to keep everything the same.

Here you are guilty until proven innocent.  The government can charge you with anything and hold you in jail for a very long time.  Remember all the mayors that Calderon arrested right before the election?  All spent a considerable amount of time in jail before they were all released. Preventive detention for 13 months?  The Mexican government has a long history of arresting people and throwing them into jail on trumped up charges.  It is an easy way for them to silence opposition.

I don't know if any of the people Mireles wants released are guilty or innocent.  Very few of the players in this arena have clean hands. We have an acting Governor arrested, communitario leaders with felony convictions, cartel leaders killed rise from the dead to be killed again, and low level cartel members trying to switch sides just to survive.  

Both sides have drawn a line.  EPN says you must disarm and the communitarios say we won't turn in our weapons and release our men.  May 10th seems to be the date.

Playaboy wrote:  

Both sides have drawn a line.  EPN says you must disarm and the communitarios say we won't turn in our weapons and release our men.  May 10th seems to be the date.

Maybe they'll call it the Mothers Day Revolution.

Or the Mothers Day Massacre, part 2

Playaboy wrote:

Both sides have drawn a line.  EPN says you must disarm and the communitarios say we won't turn in our weapons and release our men.  May 10th seems to be the date.

Let's keep in the mind that the Autodefensas are no longer united. They have split along the lines of those who are loyal to Mireles and those who are loyal to Estanislao Beltran. The Beltran faction has agreed to cooperate with the government. They will turn in their illegal automatic weapons and abide by the January 27 agreement with the government that legitimized the Autodefensas. In addition, they have repeatedly called for purging the entire organization of the criminal element that has infiltrated their ranks. In response, Mireles has declared himself the sole spokesman for the Autodefensas and issued this ridiculous ultimatum to the government, knowing fully that the government will never comply with his demands. At this point, Mireles is indeed the sole spokesman of the criminal wing of the Autodefensas. Of course, they are not going to disarm...they are criminals. Come May 10, nothing will change with the exception that civilians found in possession of illegal automatic weapons will be subject to arrest.

Michoacan transportation official and former local PRI deputy Jose Trinidad Martinez Pasalagua was released from detention at his arraignment before a judge due to lack of evidence that he actually met and colluded with the Templarios.

Judge denies detention for government official; says there is no evidence

Spanish:
http://www.sinembargo.mx/13-04-2014/961137

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sinembargo.mx%2F13-04-2014%2F961137&edit-text=

On the TOB, someone posted claims that they had just spent time in the tierra caliente, has "high" government contacts, and claims that everyone in Michoacan thinks Mireles is their saviour.

The needle on my meter started gyrating wildly.

slainte:

If you are referring to comments made by "More Liana" aka "Esperanza", your meter should have started twitching as soon as you started reading her post!

CheenaGringo wrote:slainte:

If you are referring to comments made by "More Liana" aka "Esperanza", your meter should have started twitching as soon as you started reading her post!

You are surely not referring to the person who has 4 million readers of her "blog"?    

"...the famous Mexican food blogger from Morelia, Cristina Potters, who I consider to be right up there with Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless..."

Mexico Cooks aka Creative Writing 101 focusing on fiction.

Let's bring a new character into the story: Miguel Angel Gallegos Godoy (El Migueladas).

Mexico Drug War-Michoacán: The Godfather of Godfathers

http://mexicovoices.blogspot.mx/2014/04/mexico-drug-war-michoacan-godfather-of.html

Put the revolution on hold...the government and the vigilantes cut a deal to disarm and dissolve the Autodefensas.

Acuerdan disolución de las autodefensas en Michoacán

Spanish:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/2014/defensa-desarme-michoacan-acuerdo-10-de-mayo-1003368.html

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Festados%2F2014%2Fdefensa-desarme-michoacan-acuerdo-10-de-mayo-1003368.html&edit-text=

that isn't what the article says exactly. they have agreed to give up only illegal civilian weapons[as in used by the army] and only when the templaro leaders and plaza bosses are arrested. they will then be rolled into a special type police force.
thanks for the link but not your usual one sided opinion. it's almost like you were a gummint shill with yer one sided spin doctoring-SNORK!

Playaboy...I see the government has agreed to Mireles' demand to release about 100 Autodefensas members from custody, most of whom are being held for possessing illegal automatic weapons. I doubt that they are going to release Hipolito Mora or the others who are being held on murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape charges. However, it looks like they are going to release the 34-man death squad that has been held in preventive detention for over a year.

Would it not be naive to think that the Government has a complete listing of all the weapons held by the Autodefensas? In one article I read, it mentioned that the Autodefensas would be hanging on to pistols in case all the cartel guys are not rounded up. You can bet that they would feel comfortable going up against the armed cartel members with nothing more than a pistol.

the autodefensas started off with handguns,rifles/shotguns[some held together with tape] machetes and farm implements. most if not all of the highpowered weapons they got from killing templaros or dropped when the sicarios ran away. after many years of all 3 levels of gummint not protecting them and the success they've had by self protection,they ain't gonna give that up easily. it's gonna take more than just platitudes from the gummint

Cheena...legal weapons are still legal. The term "disarm" refers to illegal military-style weapons. For now, the Autodefensas have agreed to register these weapons by May 10. After that date, anyone in possession of unregistered illegal weapons will be subject to arrest.

Here's a link to the text of the agreement between the feds and the Autodefensas.

Spanish:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/2014/acuerdo-autodefensas-castillo-desarme-michoacan-1003392.html

Google Translation:
http://translate.google.com.mx/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=es-419&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Festados%2F2014%2Facuerdo-autodefensas-castillo-desarme-michoacan-1003392.html&edit-text=

Pedro wrote:the autodefensas started off with handguns,rifles/shotguns[some held together with tape] machetes and farm implements. most if not all of the highpowered weapons they got from killing templaros or dropped when the sicarios ran away. after many years of all 3 levels of gummint not protecting them and the success they've had by self protection,they ain't gonna give that up easily. it's gonna take more than just platitudes from the gummint

Naiveté is a chronic disease and, by its very nature, the afflicted never know they have it.

From Alex's link:
"Commissioner agrees to hold two weekly meetings in the region of Tierra Caliente with representative sections of these municipalities. At Tuesday's meeting topics and the Integral Development of Thursdays Security issues addressed."

This got me thinking that I really didn't understand exactly what region of Michoacan makes up the Tierra Caliente. Sure we have all used the term in generalities but I was also thinking that I have read where these Self-Defense groups have been operating in areas I didn't consider to be part of the Tierra Caliente such as Patzcuaro as just one example. So I went in search of a map and found numerous variations on the definition of this area.

So my question is just what the plan is for areas where both the cartels and the Self-Defense operate?

Cheena...I wouldn't be too concerned about the specifics of this agreement. The agreement is a policy statement between the two parties and has no legal binding. The government felt compelled to head off a confrontation with the Autodefensas and offered this conciliatory gesture as a means to that end. Immediately after signing the agreement, this Mireles character offered up a whole new set of demands and conditions, laying the groundwork for his eventual denial of the agreement.

interesting question cheena. from what has been reported by numerous sources,the gummint seems more interested in disarming,discrediting and disbanding the autodefensas than getting the templaros.
my opinion for the reasons behind this is that the autodefensas pose a larger threat to gummint than the cartels. i'll let you figger out the reasons. and alexnotsosmart my sig line would apply to yer one sided opinion rather than my macro take on this matter. never occured to you that the media is being manipulated by[drum roll]?-SNORK!
please stop calling yerself a retired journalist-yer writings in these matters is more akin to being a columnist. calling mireles a crook is really stupid unless yer gummint for obvious reasons. i have never seen him wave like nixon did.

a coupla interesting bits in borderland beat today, in this ongoing drama.

Alex:

Not my intention to get hung up in the minutiae but rather wish to correct a gap in the knowledge base! If I am going to continue to use the term "Tierra Caliente", then I should probably learn just where this region is?

Did you get that straight? The "Hot Land" is a valley that lies between the coastal mountain range and an inland mountain range in southwest Michoacan. La Tierra Caliente straddles the border with the state of Guerrero.

I got the "Hot Land" definition and the fact that it straddles the border but the attempts at mapping seem to be all over the place:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tierra+caliente+michoacan+map&client=firefox-a&hs=LhE&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6MNNU5OSNoaQyATXy4GwAw&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=608