MEXICO: SAN PEDRO MAYOR DISAVOWS VIGILANTISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 003208 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR SNAR MX SUBJECT: MEXICO: SAN PEDRO MAYOR DISAVOWS VIGILANTISM REF: A. MONTERREY 0412 ¶B. MONTERREY 0379 ¶C. MONTERREY 0344 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Mauricio Fernandez Garza, newly elected mayor in the Monterrey municipality of San Pedro, recently implicated himself in possible extralegal activities when he made public statements concerning the killing of suspected narco-traffickers several hours before their bodies were discovered in Mexico City (ref. A). The Mayor's repeated public support for extralegal means of combatting organized crime has struck a chord with some elements of the public frustrated with violent crime. The Mexican political establishment, including President Calderon and the Governor of Nuevo Leon, Rodrigo Medina, have roundly criticized Fernandez and publicly pledged their strong support for the rule of law; Medina reassured the Ambassador on November 10 that the state government had strong backing from federal authorities to take concrete steps against vigilantism. Given vague assurances from Mexico's Federal Prosecutor's Office (PGR) and information from our NGO and press sources, an official investigation may be slow to develop, given Fernandez' ties to PAN party leadership. Nonetheless, GOM condemnation has been swift and harsh and could serve as a warning to others in government or the private sector that the Calderon Administration will not go the way of tacit approval of vigilantism. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Fernandez, the Mayor of San Pedro, a wealthy suburb of Monterrey, barely retreated in recent days from earlier comments he had made describing his support for extralegal measures to combat organized crime (ref. A). Fernandez has gained national attention, and some public support, by characterizing Mexico's laws as obsolete and accusing state and federal officials of inaction in the face of violent crime threatening the state. He has referred to a "bad-boy squad" who are well trained and know how to deal with kidnappers, narco-traffickers, and other criminals. Under intense pressure from opposition leaders, human rights organizations, and leaders of his own party, including President Felipe Calderon, Fernandez has since clarified that he would employ such a group only in the event he had no other choice. He also asserted that taking such a measure would not necessarily constitute a violation of law. ¶3. (SBU) His defense against those questioning how he knew about the killings of the Saldana brothers before their bodies were even discovered has been unpersuasive and ever shifting. His excuses include: that he heard it from an anonymous tip, that he got it from intel sources, that he guessed, and that he got the information from contacts with the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey. (Note: Reftels are very clear about our conversations with Fernandez and his questionable ties to certain groups. Characteristic of Fernandez' dishonest politicking, he tried to cover his lies with a half truth: he told a local radio station that, not only had he received information about threats against him from the Consulate (true),but also that the Consulate had provided his staff with an intercept about Saldanas' death (not true). As we reported in Ref. A, Consulate General Monterrey learned of the Saldanas' killings from one of Fernandez' advisors a full day before the bodies were discovered in Mexico City. End Note.) ¶4. (SBU) In his November 10 meetings with the Ambassador in Monterrey, Governor Medina said that he had made repeated public statements rejecting Fernandez' comments and upholding the rule of law. He said he had spoken to President Calderon the day before and that he had the full backing of the Federal Government: both were in agreement that Mexico would not go down the path of vigilantism. President Calderon affirmed his commitment in a widely-publicized November 10 business summit in Monterrey with a strong statement that his government would combat crime only by legal means, in full accordance with accepted human rights standards that are the basis for the rule of law. Medina told the Ambassador and CG Monterrey that he was personally committed to combating vigilantism and that he would work closely with state and federal authorities in monitoring this issue. ¶5. (SBU) NGO sources and press editorials have also strongly condemned Fernandez, and called on the government to investigate his ties to the Saldana killings. The director of an umbrella organization for some 65 human rights NGOs MEXICO 00003208 002 OF 002 said Fernandez' comments demonstrated an obvious disregard for the rule of law and reinforced his impression of the Mayor's ties to organized crime. Fernandez was playing a dangerous game with public sentiment and was only encouraging a number of citizen groups that had embraced extralegal measures out of frustration with the inability of federal, state and local authorities in their own municipalities to tackle effectively crime in their neighborhoods. ¶6. (SBU) Fernandez' critics have called for a thorough investigation of what he knew, when he knew it, and his possible involvement in the Saldana killings. PGR sources in the capital told us they would have to "check with the local office in Nuevo Leon" on the status of the investigation. Our NGO sources evinced skeptism that there would be any serious investigation of Fernandez, given his ties to the President's PAN party and his influential contacts in Nuevo Leon. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: Fernandez' support for vigilantism and his self-implication in the recent execution style killings of known organized crime henchmen will only complicate the government's legitimate efforts against organized crime. Given the misguided sentiment of many throughout Mexico who suggest vigilantism as an option, the spate of kidnappings that have terrorized Monterrey's elite, and the Mayor's rich and powerful constituent base, the swift and harsh public condemnation by Calderon (PAN) and Medina (PRI) is encouraging. That said, the strongest response will be the toughest one for the Calderon government: an energetic and transparent investigation of Fernandez, his possible links to organized crime, and his implication in the execution style killing of the Saldana brothers. We will look to raise the issue with senior Mexican legal authorities. End Comment. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / PASCUAL