Asylum seekers and the governor of Chihuahua

The governor of Chihuahua, Cesar Duarte has publicly dismissed Marisol Valles’ petition of asylum in the U.S.

In a press conference yesterday, Duarte said the reason behind Marisol’s petition was not related to her security. He said that she took advantage of the circumstances of insecurity to ask for asylum and to be able to live legally in the United States.

As you probably remember, Marisol got international media attention when she became the youngest female police chief of Praxedis G. Guerrero, a small and violent town near Ciudad Juarez and Guadalupe. She held the position from Oct. 20 last year until March 2, when she asked permission to leave the town for personal reasons.

Later on, U.S. immigration authorities confirmed she was in this country asking for asylum.

Mr. Duarte’s comments about Marisol’s situation are outrageous for several reasons. They show that the governor is not taking seriously the threats against a police officer, which means there are not any measures to protect their safety. It will be Marisol's responsibility to demonstrate to the US immigration officers that her life was in danger, but even before that,  Mr. Duarte is taking the initiative of dismissing her claim.

Most likely Mr. Duarte already forgot that the previous police chief of Pradexis G. Guerrero, Manuel Castro was tortured and brutally killed one year before. He probably forgot that the city didn’t have a police chief for one year because nobody was willing to accept that job before Marisol did it.

Probably Mr. Duarte also forgot that Pradexis G. Guerrero is located in the region of Chihuahua that is considered the most violent region of the country, a situation that explains why municipalities such as Pradexis have lost more than a half of their population in the last five years. People abandon their houses, their animals, and their roots because they don’t feel safe anymore. How can somebody dismiss a threat in an environment like this?

In several interviews with the press, Marisol said she wouldn’t be fighting crime with guns. In fact, her police force consisted of 13 agents –nine of them women-, a single working patrol car, three automatic rifles and a pistol. Her idea was to fight crime with education, principles and moral values.

She said that fighting the drug cartels was  a federal and state responsibility. At the municipal level, she said, they could help with preventive measures, changing the culture, educating young generations and promoting civic values among the population.

"I took the risk because I want my son to live in a different community to the one we have today. I want people to be able to go out without fear, as it was before," she said in an interview last year.

Today we know that she failed in her attempt, not because the lack of capability, but most likely because of the lack of authorities’ support.

Instead of dismissing her, Mr. Duarte should admit that his government has failed to protect the safety of the citizens. Proof of that is not just Marisol’ case, but also the recent cases of the relatives of killed activists Josefina Reyes and Marisela Escobedo, who are also looking for asylum.

Or probably he also thinks they took advantage of the circumstances just to live legally in the U.S or any other country.

 

Comments

[dbigkanunna]

What a wonderful thought that you have to beg for the gov to do its job and can only stand slack jawed when they dont or act ingnorant.
Please leave me alone. Please do not take my stuff. Please dont kill me!
Beg Mexico Beg!
The ghost of Zapata, Villa and Obregon are weeping.
A proud people that now only live on their knees.
What are you going to do have a Obregon?
Who will be Zapata?
Who will have the guts of Villa?

[Tom]

I Find it Ironic that asylum seekers will break my laws here, if they deem it necessary to survive, but they won't break the most vile law that Mexico has ever imposed on them... (Its a law that guarantees of Mexican citizens deaths), but Mexicans refuse to break it ,,, I'm talking about the right to bear arms, taken away from Mexicans... So my advice... Obtain a weapon, smuggle it back to Mexico and use it to protect yourself. If the police try to arrest you for having the gun,...well...defend your self. Get your family to do the same. Get your friends to do the same...Then get your friends to get their friends to do the same.

[Tom]

ZAPATA, VILLA, OBREGON...Ghosts Seriously? You should be praying to Jesus Christo. Not these other jokers... (Maybe they weep because they have been left behind... by some 18 million undocumented Mexican immigrants... )