Rhetoric Aside, Autodefensas Still Going Strong-Rurales in only 6 Municipalities

The threat to arrest any civilian seen in public with guns turned out to be just talk.

The self-defense groups are still present in many towns in the state, manning checkpoints and aiding the federal forces, as happened in Apatzingán a few days ago.

On May 27, alleged members of the Templarios engaged in a gun battle with self-defense forces in downtown Apatzingán.

After the shootout, federal forces and self-defense members were deployed to three colonias, where other firefights took place, searching for the aggressors.

With high-powered weapons in plain sight, the self-defense members conducted searches of houses and streets.

He was basing this statement on the agreement reached 10 days earlier between Commissioner Castillo and leaders of the self-defense groups.

In this way, the self-defense members could continue to guard their communities, but now under rules, with registered weapons and official uniforms.

However, almost three weeks later, federal authorities have had difficulties getting the FR up and running. Of the 27 towns and cities part of the May 10 agreement, only five have actually created a FR unit.

Tepalcatepec, Buenavista Tomatlán, Coalcomán, La Huacana y Chinicuila, are the only towns where the FR is currently operating.

In all the others, the self-defense groups, i.e., armed civilians, continue operating as before.

One of the checkpoints controlled by self-defense members is near the Cuatro Caminos-Apatzingán highway intersection.  There you can see armed men openly carrying high-powered weapons and ammo, stopping and checking every vehicle that passes.

 Sources: Zocalo, Reforma-Facebook