The government of Guatemala decreed Sunday "state of siege" in the department of Alta Verapaz The Government of Guatemala has declared Sunday "state of siege" in the department of Alta Verapaz, (in the north, 200 km from the capital, and the Mexican border) to fight against the impunity that reigns in the region dominated by Mexican drug traffickers.
After a government investigation has revealed a wide margin of action of drug traffickers belonging to the Mexican cartel Los Zetas in this department, the authorities took the decision to declare "state of siege" according to a statement made by the Secretary attached to the Statement by the President, Ronaldo Robles. Los Zetas are an illegal armed group of rare violence, incorporated in its majority by hired assassins of former Mexican and Guatemalan military, they "took control" of Alta Verapaz for over a year and keep the population local constant anxiety assured Robles. Even if the authorities do not know the exact number of entrants to this criminal group, they ensure that dozens of former military elite unit " Kaibil " the Guatemalan army joined the organization.
"Cities of Coban and Carcha mainly used by Los Zetas to conduct criminal operations throughout the country and prepare for drug transportation" , he added. In addition to an investigation by the administrative authorities, the Mexican justice Guatemalan arrested six members of Los Zetas in September, four of them revealed that they have been manipulated by this criminal gang in order that if they engage in criminal acts with "the promise of winning the United States" . Faced with this upsurge of organized crime, the state of siege was declared and "remain in force for 30 days" or for a period longer, if necessary, so that "the restoration of the rule of law in this department comes to banditry could take place" , supported the Guatemalan authorities.
The siege part under the Public Order Act of Guatemala and allows the government to suspend constitutional guarantees in the geographical area where that status is declared. In accordance with this proclamation, the government deployed throughout the department contingents of soldiers and officers of the PNC (National Civil Police). Approximately 500 representatives of the armed forces and police were dispatched to Alta Verapaz to engage in the pacification of the territory, and as such, engage in search and arrest criminals. The security forces are engaged in numerous house searches in the municipalities of Coban, San Juan and San Pedro Chamelco Carchá to track down criminals, and they have also installed several checkpoints on major roads in the country. Through a statement, the executive informed the citizens of Alta Verapaz that security forces could "push or punish any individual or collective action" groups who tend to oppose the recovery of state control over the territory. ;
The Zetas former right arm of the Mexican Gulf Cartel of Mexico, has a scope that includes eastern and southern Mexico (border with Guatemala), which profoundly affects the neighboring country. In this context of tension, Álvaro Colom, President of the republic, urged people to calm and cooperation, a demand that was reiterated in the evening by the Minister of the Interior, Carlos Menocal, and that of Defense Abraham Valenzuela, during a press conference "What the public does not alarmed: we have to do our work and arrest offenders or organized groups that are bathed in organized crime " Menocal said. For the criminologist and academic David Martínez Amador, the government responded to demonstrations of force that the Zetas have realized, however, he considers that these security operations will be useless if "the police continues to be corrupt, if the judicial system remains weak and insufficient number of prisons" .
"The Siege" happens right after "state of war" in terms of severity, "when in force, the authorities and entities of state will have to lend support to military forces and cooperate in according to their requirements ". Coban, capital of the department of Alta Verapaz, is sometimes presented as" the capital of drug trafficking in Guatemala ". In November last, the local press was informed that weapons had been seized from members of Los Zetas were betting on a stolen arsenal to the army of Guatemala in 2007. A colonel was then stopped while the journalist who disclosed the information had been threatened with death. An anonymous source told EFE that the Zetas "have made this region the center of their operations ", " They roam the area in off-road vehicles, heavily armed. They kidnap and rape women and young peasants forced to work for them ". The location of Guatemala, close to Mexico, has made this department one of the strongholds of drug trafficking for the past several years, the drug passes and by Mexico, Honduras to the United States.
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