Mexican president vows to protect mayor facing death threats

Mexico City, Jun 13 (EFE).- President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that the Mexican government will ensure the safety of the mayor of the northern city of Tijuana, who has taken up residence inside an army garrison in the face of threats against her life.

“She is being protected, starting roughly two weeks ago, because she has received threat and we decided to protect her,” the president, known as AMLO, said during his daily morning news conference.

Montserrat Caballero disclosed Monday that she moved into quarters at the military installation after repeated threats from organized crime figures and a May 17 incident in which a member of her security detail was attacked.

The threats, mainly delivered over social media, come “from people who have been arrested with these weapons, could be released, and who are angry” with her, the mayor of the border metropolis of 2 million people said.

How long Caballero will remain at the garrison is an open question, AMLO said.

“We are going to see how things evolve, always taking her opinion into account,” he said.

Threats have also been made against the governor of Baja California state (which includes Tijuana), Marina del Pilar, and her predecessor, Sen. Jaime Bonilla, the president said.

While acknowledging that the nature and seriousness of the threats remain unclear, he said that authorities had to act.

“They don’t have many elements, but it is better to prevent than to lament,” AMLO said.

He discussed the situation in Baja California moments after the federal public safety department released figures showing that May was the most violent month so far in 2023, with 2,660 homicides.

AMLO took office in December 2018 and the first two years of his term were the deadliest on record in Mexico, with 34,690 and 34,554 murders, respectively.

Homicides declined 7.1 percent last year to 30,968. EFE csr/dr