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June 24, 2011

Relatives of Mexico Drug War Victims Demand Presidential Apology 
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Relatives of Mexicans killed in their country's drug war have had an
extraordinary public confrontation with Mexican President Felipe
Calderón. On Thursday, a group of family members who've lost loved ones
to the drug fight met with Calderón in Mexico City. The group included
poet and activist Javier Sicilia, who has recently become the
spokesperson for a growing anti-violence movement in Mexico after his
son's torture and murder. At a joint news conference with Calderón and
other family members, Sicilia called on Calderón to apologize for the
tens of thousands who have died in Mexico's drug war.

Javier Sicilia: "The Mexican state is failing in its obligation to
protect its people and defend their rights. That is why, Mr. President,
in your state role, you are responsible, together with the state
governments, for the deaths of 40,000 people, thousands of missing and
orphans. We have come here, firstly, so that the Mexican state
recognizes its debt with the victims, their families and society. As a
representative of the state, Mr. President, who are obliged to apologize
to the nation, in particular to the victims."

In response, Calderon defended his militarization of the drug fight,
saying intensified operations could have saved the life of Sicilia's
son.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon: "Everyone who works for the state are
partly responsible. We are responsible and I agree, we should ask for
forgiveness for not protecting the lives of the victims but not for
acting against the criminals who are killing the victims! That is
definitely a mistake. In that Javier, you are mistaken. Yes, we should
apologize for people who have died at the hands of criminals, for not
having acted against those criminals. If I regret something is not
having sent federal security forces to fight against criminals, who
nobody used to confront because they were scared of them, because they
had been bought! I also regret not sending them before and not having
had a fair operation in Cuernavaca, to catch them before they killed
Francisco!"



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