Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 28 February 2020
Mexico president ties shootout dead to drug consumption

By PETER ORSI Hope wrote that usually
Associated Press drug consumption is used
MEXICO CITY (AP) — to characterize perpetra-
President Andrés Manuel tors of murders, not the
López Obrador suggested dead, and that "there is
Wednesday without offer- zero evidence" for López
ing evidence that most of Obrador's assertion.
those who die in Mexico's María Elena Morera, presi-
cartel- and gang-fueled dent of the NGO Causa en
firefights are high on drugs Comun, called the presi-
or intoxicated, prompt- dent's comment "troubling"
ing criticism and questions and said there is no data to
about whether the claim back it up.
was accurate. "So the president is con-
Speaking to journalists in fused, ill-informed or simply
his morning news confer- does it to reinforce his pos-
ence, López Obrador said ture of revictimizing and
rising drug consumption not legalizing drugs," More-
rates must be reversed if ra said. López Obrador was
the country is to guarantee asked at the news confer-
peace and security after ence about possible legal-
years of rising, record-set- ization, for example the cul-
ting homicide statistics. tivation of opium poppies
"Just so you have the num- Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador waves during an event marking Army Day at or the recreational use of
ber, 60% of those who lose the Zocalo, accompanied by first lady Beatriz Gutierrez Muller, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Feb. marijuana, and suggested
19, 2020.
their life each day, 60% of Associated Press his administration is looking
those killed in clashes, it is more at legalization for me-
shown that they are under during the drug war were between criminal groups assertion. While it's true dicinal purposes.
the influence of drugs or al- tied to cartels, also with- and/or with security forces. that sometimes cartel kill- The Supreme Court ruled in
cohol, but primarily drugs," out offering evidence, but That suggests he was refer- ers get high before doing 2018 that prohibition of per-
the president continued. eventually backed off such ring to presumed criminals their bloody business, they sonal use, possession and
"Because of that, these rhetoric after criticism from and not murder victims questioned whether it was private cultivation of can-
ruthless crimes that cause activists and relatives of more broadly speaking. fair to imply drug consump- nabis was unconstitutional,
such sadness." some victims. The official, who was not tion is an underlying cause though lawmakers have
The comments revived a A federal government offi- authorized to discuss the of gangland violence. And not codified decriminaliza-
debate seen during the cial clarified later Wednes- matter publicly and spoke perhaps due to the ambi- tion into law.
2006-2012 presidency of day that the figure came on condition of anonymity, guity of López Obrador's Data Civica, a stats-driven
Felipe Calderón, who first from López Obrador's said documentation exists words, many understood NGO working in human
launched Mexico's milita- closed-door morning meet- but is not publicly available. them to mean all homi- rights and citizen empow-
rized anti-drug offensive. ings with his security Cabi- But critics questioned cides, leading to accusa- erment, also said it was
Calderón used to say that net and is based on analy- whether there was any tions of victim-blaming. concerned by López Obra-
the majority of those killed ses of those killed in clashes scientific basis for such an Security analyst Alejandro dor's assertion. q

Grief grips Peruvian community one month after deadly fire

By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO swept through the Sector 6 rushed away from the
Associated Press neighborhood of the Villa cloud, but someone start-
LIMA, Peru (AP) — One El Salvador district in Lima ed a car and a spark ig-
month after a gas tanker on Jan. 23. While prosecu- nited the gas, Lizeta said.
leak triggered fires and ex- tors say they are working Prosecutor Humberto
plosions that killed 30 peo- hard to close their investi- Durán is investigating the
ple in the Peruvian capi- gation, grief and disillusion- tanker driver, the gas dis-
tal, traumatized survivors ment have overwhelmed tribution company, Lima
and relatives of victims are the neighborhood. Mayor Jorge Muñoz, Villa
still waiting to know who “Nobody has been jailed. El Salvador Mayor Kevin
was responsible. They in- There’s no justice,” said Iñigo and other officials.
clude Paola Lizeta, whose 26-year-old Vanesa Meza, In addition, the tanker
13-year-old son, Jean who lost her aunt and driver, 72-year-old Luis
Francis Álvarez, ran back four nieces in the disas- Guzmán, wasn’t autho- In this Jan. 23, 2020 file photo, a firefighter cools a roof with
toward his house to try to ter. Four of Meza’s neph- rized to transport liquefied water after a gas tanker leak triggered a fires and explosions,
killing 30 people in the Villa Maria shantytown of Lima, Peru.
rescue his dog and died a ews - the youngest is a gas and had been fined Associated Press
week later after suffering baby - remain hospital- five times for transporting
severe burns. The dog, Les- ized with burns over half dangerous cargo without automatically prevent the der after a road accident.
ter, survived. their bodies. Visible as a observing safety protocols. gas from escaping into the Wilder Félix, a water distrib-
“Sometimes he wants me white cloud, liquefied gas On. Jan 23, Guzmán air. Emergency services utor, was passing through
to pick him up,” Lizeta said leaked from a tanker af- should have had a col- were slow to arrive at the the area and pitched in
of the dog. “I embrace ter its pump hit a sharply league with him, but was scene to help victims and with supplies from his truck
him with all my strength.” angled speed bump at an driving solo. His vehicle put out the flames. Fire- to fight the fire consuming
Some 14 people were also intersection, according to didn’t have proper fend- fighters admitted later that people, homes and ve-
injured in the blaze that a police report. Residents ers or a system that would a fire engine was out of or- hicles. q