USA/FILE: Mexican poet-turned-activist Javier Sicilia leads his Caravan of Peace with Justice and Dignity to Washington, DC where he hopes to rally American support for reforms that will help end drug-related violence

Record ID: 349641

  • Title: USA/FILE: Mexican poet-turned-activist Javier Sicilia leads his Caravan of Peace with Justice and Dignity to Washington, DC where he hopes to rally American support for reforms that will help end drug-related violence
  • Date: 11th September 2012
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 06, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF THE PEACE CARAVAN MARCHING IN NEW YORK CITY WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 11, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LEADER OF PEACE CARAVAN, POET-TURNED-ACTIVIST JAVIER SICILIA ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF STILL PHOTOS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO DRUG VIOLENCE GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH SICILIA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF PEACE CARAVAN, POET-TURNED-ACTIVIST JAVIER SICILIA SAYING: "The path to peace depends on the regulation of drugs, the control of deadly assault weapons, a profound and real fight against money laundering, a humane immigration policy that is centred on lives and not political interests." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF PEACE CARAVAN, POET-TURNED-ACTIVIST JAVIER SICILIA, REFERRING TO THE INCOMING GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ENRIQUE PENA NIETO, SAYING: "That is going to depend on the pressure we apply as citizens, the pressure that organizations apply so that this agenda be adopted by the government. And the pressure that the political parties apply so that this agenda of peace be fundamental in the daily life of the country because without it, there will be no agendas. Without peace, there will be no agenda of any nature." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF PEACE CARAVAN, POET-TURNED-ACTIVIST JAVIER SICILIA, ANSWERING QUESTION ABOUT THE USE OF ARMED FORCES TO COMBAT THE DRUG VIOLENCE, SAYING: "It is complete madness to deploy the military - which is made for extreme violence - to deal with a police issue. There will be human rights violations." VARIOUS OF STILL PHOTOS OF PEOPLE WHO FELL VICTIM TO DRUG VIOLENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF PEACE CARAVAN, POET-TURNED-ACTIVIST JAVIER SICILIA, ANSWERING QUESTION ABOUT THE USE OF ARMED FORCES TO COMBAT THE DRUG VIOLENCE, SAYING: "What we need is to not put in the military immediately. The took them out irresponsibly. What we need to is construct a path for peace, a return route for the military and based on fundamental reforms to the state." GENERAL VIEW OF SICILIA WALKING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime,International Relations,Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA82HKJMQRCGIIL5J77XJMPF119
  • Story Text: After travelling across the United States, the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity arrived to Washington, DC on (September 11) where poet-turned-activist Javier Sicilia held a news conference on the steps of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation.
    Sicilia told journalists that peace in Mexico, ravaged by on going drug violence, will depend on profound reforms.
    "The path to peace depends on the regulation of drugs, the control of deadly assault weapons, a profound and real fight against money laundering, a humane immigration policy that is centred on lives and not political interests," he said.
    Sicilia's peace convoy entered the United States across the Mexican border in Tijuana on August 12. He, along with activists from Mexico, the U.S. and other countries, hope to rally American support for an end to drug-related bloodshed.
    They are also looking for support at home. Sicilia said that if President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto does not adopt the peace agenda, then Mexico will continue to be crippled by the bloodshed.
    "That is going to depend on the pressure we apply as citizens, the pressure that organizations apply so that this agenda be adopted by the government. And the pressure that the political parties apply so that this agenda of peace be fundamental in the daily life of the country because without it, there will be no agendas. Without peace, there will be no agenda of any nature," he said.
    Sicilia told Reuters Television that the use of the military was "madness" in the effort to restore peace.
    "It is complete madness to deploy the military - which is made for extreme violence - to deal with a police issue. There will be human rights violations," he said.
    "What we need is to not put in the military immediately. The took them out irresponsibly. What we need to is construct a path for peace, a return route for the military and based on fundamental reforms to the state," Sicilia added.
    More than 55,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led crackdown in late 2006 in hopes of reigning in drug-related violence.
    Javier Sicilia, an award-winning but little-known poet until gunmen killed his 24-year-old son, began the first Caravan for Peace convoy in June 2011 in Cuernavaca, some 45 miles from Mexico City.
    After the murder of his son, Sicilia slammed the government's campaign to break the drug cartels and launched a campaign to end the violence, leading large protests in Mexico.
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