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| Community Police of San Luis Acatlán, Guerrero Photo: Milenio |
CNN Mexico: Laura Reyes
Acapulco, Guerrero - Sixteen municipal policemen arrested by community police between Tuesday and Saturday of last week in San Luis Acatlán, a township in southern Guerrero, were released on Saturday.
The release occurred after the state government returned two pickup trucks and other belongings seized on Monday when state police arrested six members of the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities (CRAC) for carrying weapons when they entered Acapulco in order to bring a detainee for medical tests. The six were released Tuesday after posting bail of more than 62,000 pesos [US$5,100].
That same day, upon returning to their community, the police arrested the clerk of the state Public Ministry [investigative police] in San Luis Acatlán, and a day later, entered the offices of the state Attorney General in the town, where they arrested five officials.
Subsequently, during the early hours of Saturday morning, the community police detained a group traveling in vehicles past a road block in their community. Among the detained were the Public Safety Director of San Luis Acatlán and eight municipal police officers. These officials joined the six ministerial [investigative] police detained by CRAC on Tuesday. The Police Chief of CRAC, Leonel Vazquez, said those arrested were carrying 41 rifles and seven pistols.
On Friday afternoon, negotiations were held between the community police officers and federal and state governments. The talks were attended by a delegate of the federal Secretariat of Government Relations, Juan Salgado Brito, a representative from Advisory Services for Peace (Serapaz), Miguel Álvarez Gándara, and a liaison from the state government, Oscar Chavez Bautista.
The officials talked with representatives of the CRAC towns of El Paraíso and Espino Blanco, and the municipalities of San Luis Acatlán and Tixtla. But at the end of the meeting there was no agreement. Cabrera said that during negotiations with the authorities, he reviewed the 14 points of
CRAC´s list of demands and the federal government agreed to return the two trucks. Spanish original