JUAREZ — The newly-formed vigilante group “El Comando Ciudadano Por Juarez” proclaimed its manifesto Tuesday in a news release to Juarez media. It vowed to take over the streets in a matter of months if city, state and federal leaders fail to restore order.
In the manifesto, the group identified Commandante Abraham as its leader and Subcommandante Gabriel “Durito (Hard One)” as second-in-command.
Chihuahua’s Attorney General Patricia Gonzalez-Rodriguez denied the existence of the vigilante group Monday, stating the group was merely a fabrication by drug cartels to instill fear into Juarenses and generate more violence to de-stabilize the city.
In 2008, more than 1,600 people were killed in Juarez. City officials attributed the majority of the violent deaths to an ongoing war between rival drug cartels fighting for drug routes into the U.S.
Making matters worse, the city plunged into an economic abyss which gave rise to a rash of violent crime. Kidnappings for ransom and extortions became the norm and some of the city’s wealthiest families fled to El Paso.
The vigilante group stated its mission was to kill one criminal a day and declared war on burglars, kidnappers, and extortionists that constantly violate the rights of citizens. The group told city leaders they have until July 5, 2009 to re-establish order.
A failure to meet that goal by the deadline will result in the group taking the streets with its “army of men and women” who will battle criminals with whatever tool is available.
The manifesto describes the group as an organization consisting of university students, professors, commercial businessmen, unemployed workers and field workers who are willing to give their lives for their city. The group even revealed it is funded by businessmen who have fled their city due to the escalating violence and is willing to work side-by-side with the Mexican Army.
People here have a hard time understanding that there were more kidnappings, terrorism, and beheadings in Mexico last year than Iraq. This is a serious shooting war going on and 70% of it is funded by the marijuana we are not allowed to grow domestically. With more than 1,600 deaths in a city of 1.4 million, Juarez beat the 2008 murder totals of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC combined, cities that equal 15.5 million people, or more than ten times larger than Juarez.
Now the people are so terrified they are turning to vigilantism, a sure sign of the beginnings of a failed state. The politicians are continuing more of the same in-the-box thinking that got them in this situation – more military force through US funding of the Meridia initiative. Nobody in power can accept the fact that marijuana is here to stay, some people will always want to smoke it, there will always be a marijuana market, and it will be controlled by either the murderous criminals or by We The People.
