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world news Dialuna 29 november 2021

500 vigilantes gather in Mexico town, pledge to aid police

(AP) — Extortion of avo- warring cartels, trying to en-
cado growers in western sure that neither invades the
Mexico has gotten so bad other gang’s territory.
that 500 vigilantes from But soldiers do little or noth-
a so-called “self-defense” ing about illicit gang activities
group known as United occurring just a few hundred
Towns, or Pueblos Uni- yards from their checkpoints.
dos, gathered Saturday
and pledged to aid police. That has led Michoacan resi-
dents to once again take up
The vigilantes gathered for arms, in the face of rampant
a rally in the town of Nuevo extortion by the Viagras,
Urecho, in the western state Jalisco and other gangs.
of Michoacan, armed with
AR-15s and other rifles, as This time around, the self-
well as a motley collection of defense movement is mostly
shotguns. operating in the avocado-
growing regions that were
They said that drug cartels not the epicenter of the 2013
like the Viagras and the Jalis- vigilante uprising.
co cartel have been charging
avocado growers ‘war taxes’ As avocados have become a
of about $1,000 per acre more widespread and lucra-
($2,500 per hectare). tive crop, drug cartels and
gangs have taken to extorting
Tired of the extortion de- lantes appeared willing to Pueblos Unidos has staged tory of armed civilian “self protection payments from
mands and kidnappings, respond to a pledge by Gov. armed rallies in several towns defense” vigilante militia growers.
growers and farmers formed Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla to in Michoacan over the last movements from 2013 and While previous ‘self-defense’
the group in 2020, and it now disarm the state’s various ‘self year, but have always said 2014. Back then vigilantes groups have been infiltrated
claims to have almost 3,000 defense’ groups. they would rather have of- managed to chase the domi- or taken over by drug gangs,
members. ficially constituted security nant Knights Templar cartel Pueblos Unidos leaders said
“We reached agreements with forces do the work of expel- out, but rival cartels like the they were not associated with
“Several of us have been vic- the mayor to increase the ling criminal gangs. Viagras and the Jalisco cartel any of the warring gangs and
tims of this situation, of kid- number of police” patrolling have moved in. Kidnappings, are willing to put away their
nappings, extortions,” said the area, the vigilante leader Mexican law forbids most ci- killings and shootings have guns.
one masked vigilante leader said. “For the moment, we vilians from owning almost prompted thousands to flee
who asked his name not be are putting away our guns, all firearms, except for ex- their homes. “We have never taken over
used for fear of reprisals from but we will be on alert to tremely low caliber hunting any town,” said one masked
the gangs. come out and support the rifles or shotguns. The Mexican army has sent vigilante leader. “We are not
police at any moment.” troops to the state, but only part of a cartel or anything
For the moment, the vigi- But Michoacan has a his- to act as a buffer between the like that.”

WHO criticizes travel bans on southern African countries

(AP) — The World Health for following international countries “take a risk-based presence. The Netherlands together for solutions.”
Organization on Sunday health regulations and in- and scientific approach and reported 13 omicron cases on
urged countries around forming WHO as soon as its put in place measures which Sunday, and Australia found WHO said it scaling up its
the world not to impose national laboratory identified can limit its possible spread.” two. The U.S. plans to ban support for genomic se-
flight bans on southern the omicron variant. travel from South Africa and quencing in Africa so se-
African nations due to Dr. Francis Collins, director seven other southern African quencing laboratories have
concerns over the new “The speed and transpar- of the National Institutes of countries starting Monday. access to adequate human
omicron variant. ency of the South African Health in the United States, resources and testing re-
and Botswana governments emphasized that there is no “With the omicron variant agents to work at full capacity.
WHO’s regional director for in informing the world of data yet that suggests the new now detected in several re- WHO also said is ready to of-
Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, the new variant is to be com- variant causes more serious gions of the world, putting fer additional help, reinforc-
called on countries to fol- mended,” said Moeti. “WHO illness than previous COV- in place travel bans that target ing COVID-19 responses
low science and international stands with African countries ID-19 variants. Africa attacks global solidar- including surveillance, treat-
health regulations in order which had the courage to ity,” said Moeti. “COVID-19 ment, infection prevention
to avoid using travel restric- boldly share life-saving pub- “I do think it’s more conta- constantly exploits our divi- and community engagement
tions. lic health information, help- gious, when you look at how sions. We will only get the in southern African coun-
“Travel restrictions may play ing protect the world against rapidly it spread through better of the virus if we work tries, it said.
a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19.” multiple districts in South
the spread of COVID-19 but Africa,” Collins said on
place a heavy burden on lives Cases of the omicron variant CNN’s “State of the Union.”
and livelihoods,” Moeti said of the coronavirus popped up
in a statement. “If restric- in countries on opposite sides Israel decided to bar entry
tions are implemented, they of the world Sunday and to foreigners, and Morocco
should not be unnecessar- many governments rushed said it would suspend all in-
ily invasive or intrusive, and to close their borders even as coming flights for two weeks
should be scientifically based, scientists cautioned that it’s starting Monday — among
according to the International not clear if the new variant the most drastic of a growing
Health Regulations, which is is more alarming than other raft of travel curbs being im-
a legally binding instrument versions of the virus. posed as nations scrambled
of international law recog- to slow the variant’s spread.
nized by over 190 nations.” While investigations contin- Scientists in several places
ue into the omicron variant, — from Hong Kong to Eu-
Moeti praised South Africa WHO recommends that all rope — have confirmed its