CNI Online
September 10, 2001

In response to the wave of assaults and ambushes against members of the Public Security Police in Chiapas -- which has resulted in two deaths in the last 15 days, as well as dozens of civilians wounded and injuries to two state police officers -- the Mixed Operations Bases (BOM) presence in the area has been reinforced.

The federal government, through the regional office of the Attorney General's Office of the Republic (PGR) has identified at least 19 hot spots, among them the locations where a Federal Public Ministry agent and three Public Security officers were killed.

Ramiro Miceli, a state PRI deputy, stated that the incidents which took place in Puerto Cate, municipality of Bochil, in Simojovel and in El Bosque -- added to the inter-community conflicts and organized gangs which have developed due to the drastic fall in coffee prices -- have turned the situation into a "national security" problem.

He said that Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) support bases and deserters, as well as criminal gangs, could be responsible for the recent incidents, and he attributed the occurrences to the repositioning of the Mexican Army.

Miceli Maza felt that the situation in the Bochil region is very difficult: "There are no institutional actions which can stop the insecurity. There's nothing that can resolve it. There are no patrols, there are no operations, and there's no state public security plan."

The PRI legislator warned that the councils, with unarmed police, are not able to do anything. "It's not good for them to have weapons anyway. Security is the job of the federal and state governments, but up to now they haven't done much of anything in this regard in Chiapas," he went on.