MEXICO: Relatives of drug war violence demand justice at highly-charged meeting between crusading poet Javier Sicilia and Mexican President Felipe Calderon

Record ID: 303578

  • Title: MEXICO: Relatives of drug war violence demand justice at highly-charged meeting between crusading poet Javier Sicilia and Mexican President Felipe Calderon
  • Date: 24th June 2011
  • Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JUNE 23, 2011) (REUTERS) POET AND ACTIVIST, JAVIER SICILIA GREETING FRIENDS VARIOUS OF MEXICAN PRESIDENT GREETING JULIAN LE BARON, WHOSE BROTHER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WERE EXECUTED BY DRUG CARTELS, SICILIA VARIOUS OF CALDERON DURING ONE MINUTE SILENCE FOR DRUG VICTIMS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POET AND ACTIVIST, JAVIER SICILIA SAYING: "In the first place, so that the Mexican state recognizes its debt to the victims, their families and the whole of society, as a representative of the state, Mr. President, you are obliged to apologize to the nation." CALDERON DURING MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON, SAYING: "Yes, we should apologize for the people who have died at the hands of criminals, for not having acted against those criminals. If I have any regrets in all of this, it isn't for having sent federal security forces to fight against criminals, who nobody used to confront because they were scared of them, because they had been bought! If I did have any regrets, I regret not sending them earlier, not having had an operation precisely in Cuernavaca that could have caught the gang that killed Francisco. It's for failing to act together with more force. We all have to say sorry: those of us who were submissive and those who have wanted to stop the government's action." MORE OF MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VICTIM WHOSE FOUR SONS ARE MISSING, MARIA ELENA HERRERA, SAYING: "I hope for your help, Mr. President and I hope my words reach the hearts of (first lady) Margarita (Zavala) and (Mexico Attorney General) Marisela (Morales) as mothers, as wives." CALDERON HUGGING HERRERA CALDERON RECEIVING A SCAPULAR AND ROSARY GIVEN TO SICILIA BY VICTIMS MORE OF CALDERON DURING MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON, SAYING: "I'm fighting against those criminals. Believe me, your case hurts me and if there's something I want as president is for there never, ever to be a gang that acts unpunished against anyone. But who will stop those gangs? Who will confront them? How will we confront them? These cases hurt me, but my duty is to confront them, not fall back on my government." POSTER THAT READS: "We are fed up!" RELATIVES HOLDING THEM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIAN LE BARON, WHOSE BROTHER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WERE EXECUTED BY DRUG CARTELS, SAYING: "I don't have any expectations regarding what we did here but I think we are planting seeds and we want reason and truth to light the way and not violence." SICILIA AFTER MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POET AND ACTIVIST, JAVIER SICILIA SAYING: "I think we advanced although the president will tenaciously continue with his strategy, we advanced though because he accepted to meet again for more discussions with experts over our proposals." BADGE ON SICILIA SICILIA AFTER MEETING
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico, Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Reuters ID: LVAF22Y2FXYKL9XF9D1WT08Q44C9
  • Story Text: A moment of silence in remembrance of Mexico's tens of thousands of drug war victims launched a meeting between President Felipe Calderon and relatives who have lost loved ones in the country's destructive drugs war on Thursday (June 23).
    Victims who have seen their region ravaged by drug killings accompanied Javier Sicilia, a symbol of national protest after he led a peace caravan of some 500 people across northern Mexico this month.
    Sicilia, an award-winning but little-known poet until gunmen killed his 24-year-old son in March, has given a voice to thousands of Mexicans suffering the chaos of the drug war.
    During the meeting, he demanded Calderon apologize for the deaths.
    "In the first place, so that the Mexican state recognizes its debt to the victims, their families and the whole of society, as a representative of the state, Mr. President, you are obliged to apologize to the nation," he said.
    Calderon replied by telling Sicilia the ones to blame for such atrocities were the criminals and not the government, adding he regretted not sending security forces sooner to protect civilians.
    "Yes, we should apologize for the people who have died at the hands of criminals, for not having acted against those criminals. If I have any regrets in all of this, it isn't for having sent federal security forces to fight against criminals, who nobody used to confront because they were scared of them, because they had been bought! If I did have any regrets, I regret not sending them earlier, not having had an operation precisely in Cuernavaca that could have caught the gang that killed Francisco. It's for failing to act together with more force. We all have to say sorry: those of us who were submissive and those who have wanted to stop the government's action," he said.
    It is the first time Calderon has agreed to meet with victims from drug-related violence from around the country.
    The most emotional moment during the meeting came when Maria Elena Herrera from Morelia Michoacan spoke about her despair: four of her sons are missing. She told Calderon two of her sons had been kidnapped. While investigating the first kidnappings, two more of her sons went missing. She still doesn't know what happened to all four.
    Herrera said she represented the pain of mothers around Mexico, who are going through similar circumstances.
    "I hope for your help, Mr. President," she said emotionally, "and I hope my words reach the hearts of (first lady) Margarita (Zavala) and (Mexico Attorney General) Marisela (Morales) as mothers, as wives."
    After Herrera's address, Calderon walked over to her and hugged her.
    Calderon also received a scapular and rosary given to Sicilia by victims of drug violence.
    The president then responded to Herrera, telling the grieving mother that it was his obligation to fight drug gangs.
    "I'm fighting against those criminals. Believe me, your case hurts me and if there's something I want as president is for there never, ever to be a gang that acts unpunished against anyone. But who will stop those gangs? Who will confront them? How will we confront them? These cases hurt me, but my duty is to confront them, not fall back on my government," he said.
    After the meeting, Julian Le Baron, whose brother and brother-in-law were executed by drug cartels, said he hoped the meeting was the first step toward a better future.
    Sicilia also expressed his satisfaction with the talk.
    "I think we advanced although the president will tenaciously continue with his strategy, we advanced though because he accepted to meet again for more discussions with experts over our proposals," the poet said.
    The groundswell has increased pressure on the government ahead of next year's elections at a time when Calderon wants to convince voters and investors that his strategy is working.
    The death of Juan Francisco Sicilia with six of his friends in the city of Cuernavaca near Mexico City inspired the poet to start the most significant protest movement against a war that has exploded since Calderon sent army troops into the fight when he took office in late 2006.
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