Mexico’s president demands release of abducted cops
Mexico City, Jun 29 (EFE).- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called Thursday for the immediate, unconditional release of 16 law enforcement agents who were abducted by criminals in the southern state of Chiapas.
“What we think in this case, first that the prisoners are released without any conditions, because those who kidnapped these workers – who are innocent – are not behaving well,” the president, known as AMLO, said during his daily news conference.
The mass abduction took place Tuesday in the town of Ocozocoautla as 16 agents of the Chiapas public safety department were en route to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state capital.
On Wednesday, the kidnappers posted videos on social media demanding that Chiapas Gov. Rutilio Escandon fire the chiefs of the border police, Yahir Hernandez; and state police, Marco Antonio Burguete, as well as the undersecretary of public safety, Francisco Orantes.
The speakers on the videos accused all three officials of misconduct.
AMLO pledged that federal authorities will look into the allegations against officials in Chiapas, plagued by burgeoning conflicts among criminal groups operating along the border with Guatemala, AMLO said
Those territorial battles have led to the displacement of indigenous communities.
“We are going to investigate it, as we investigate all the cases in which there are indications of corruption or illicit acts. First we want them to liberate (the hostages) because that is not the way, that we will not accept,” the president said.
Based on the content of the videos, the mass abduction appears to be related to a dispute between two organized crime factions, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Jalisco outfit is thought to be seeking vengeance for the kidnapping of a nightclub singer in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Nayeli Cyrene, reputedly on the orders of Sinaloa capo Jesus Esteban Machado.
“It is a group that is in confrontation with another group, but that is another matter, it has nothing to do with innocent people,” AMLO said.
EFE
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