Thousands of Guerrero Residents March in Favor of Self-Defense Groups Rogelio Agustin Esteban - Milenio
go to original March 3, 2013

At least four thousand supporters of the Union of Organized Peoples of Guerrero (UPOEG) marched in the town of Ayutla de los Libres to defend the self-defense movement against media attacks received from the commander of the Ninth Military Region, Fausto Lozano Espinosa.

In the march on Saturday contingents from the Central, Mountain and Costa Chica regions participated on the grounds that the self-defense groups have no links with criminal groups, nor are they subversive expressions.

Bruno Placido Valerio, a UPOEG leader, said the comments of the commander of the Ninth Region are misplaced because there are no outside forces involved in the self-defense groups.

He said that at no time had UPOEG posed a confrontation with the legally established authorities, as it was originally motivated by the omissions committed by the three levels of government that allowed crime to be out of control, which increased severely in the last two presidential terms.

UPOEG's self defense, according to the leader, has the support of the populations in which it operates and only has the interest of ensuring the integrity of the inhabitants of communities.

He called for maintaining communication with the authorities but by no means assuming an attitude of submission, and that coordination is always subject to mutual respect.

See Spanish original

Posted by Reed Brundage at Mexico Voices

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