PUBLIC PROTEST AGAINST MEXICAN MILITARY LIKELY ORGANIZED BY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000073

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PHUM ASEC PGOV KCRM CASC ECON MX
SUBJECT: PUBLIC PROTEST AGAINST MEXICAN MILITARY LIKELY ORGANIZED BY
DRUG CARTELS

REF: 2008 MONTERREY 0182

MONTERREY 00000073 001.2 OF 002



1. (C) Summary. Drug traffickers in northern Mexico appear to
be using a new tactic to combat the Mexican military by mounting
demonstrations demanding that the military leave. There were
demonstrations in Monterrey on January 19, February 9 and
February 10. Our contacts report that the narco-traffickers are
paying protestors to disrupt traffic in large parts of
Monterrey, apparently hoping a groundswell of public outrage
against alleged military abuses will force the military out of
the state. However, the public appears to support the
military, the number of reported abuses is low, and the military
remains the only trusted and effective force against the drug
cartels in Nuevo Leon. End Summary.


2. (U) The protests began on January 19 with several protests
in central Monterrey against the army presence in Nuevo Leon.
The protestors, generally numbering about 150 to 200 people, are
using coordinated road blocks around the city to highlight their
cause. The largest and most disruptive demonstrations occurred
on February 9 when groups of protestors blocked four
thoroughfares in Monterrey during the afternoon rush,
grid-locking large parts of the city for hours. One of the
protests occurred in front of the U.S. Consulate General
building. While the protest was not directed toward the United
States government, protesting in front of the consulate
generated additional press interest. The protestors have
demanded that the federal army leave Nuevo Leon.

Military Seen as More Honest than Local Police


3. (SBU) The overwhelming public perception is that the army
forces have had a positive effect in Nuevo Leon. The army is
seen as an honest and effective means of law enforcement. Since
2007, President Calderon has deployed troops to several states,
including Nuevo Leon, to assist in the anti-crime operations.
The military has conducted drug raids, checkpoints, and police
inspections. The military assistance has been welcome because
many elements of the police force at the municipal, state and
federal level are seen as either corrupt or unable to contain
the growing violence caused by drug trafficking. According to
Miriam Hinojosa, a sociology professor at the University of
Monterrey, the lower social classes in particular believe
military forces are parts of the solution to combating drug
traffickers. The poorer classes are the most vulnerable to the
spillover of drug violence and generally lack confidence in
police forces.


4. (SBU) Police corruption and professionalism in Nuevo Leon
varies based on municipality. Some police forces such as the
San Pedro police force are well trained, well equipped and well
regarded. In some cities including Monterrey, there is
widespread corruption. Overall, 60% of cases received by the
Nuevo Leon State Human Rights Commission (CEDH),are related to
state and local police abuses such as arbitrary detention,
mismanagement and impunity (see reftel). In a case that
provoked public outrage in 2008, six state police officers
mistakenly shot at a family while in pursuit of a group of
convenience store thieves. No one was killed but two adults and
two children were injured. The Secretary of State Public
Security Aldo Fasci Zuazua, offered to step down but Governor
Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras refused to approve his request.

Few Military Human Rights Cases


5. (C) According to the CEDH, there were only seven cases of
military abuse out of nearly 2,500 total human rights claims in
Nuevo Leon in 2008. The director of the commission, Minerva
Martinez Garza, said that military abuse cases are handled at
the federal level but she did feel that the few abuse claims
they have received are being addressed. Along the same lines,
the Sub-Director of Nuevo Leon Public Security Federico Gonzalez
told poloff that he welcomes the military assistance and that
the military has been a positive, professionalizing influence on
local police forces. The most important case of potential human
rights abuse by the military occurred on December 15, 2008 when
a pregnant woman drove past a checkpoint and was severely
wounded by gunshots. The woman claims to have been shocked by
the sight of uniformed soldiers and sped up past the check
point. The shooting provoked expressions of concern from human
rights groups. The army has formally apologized for the
shooting but the outcome of the case is still unknown.

Narco-Traffickers Appear to Organize Protests


6. (C) Since the beginning of the protests, Nuevo Leon
Secretary of Public Security Aldo Fasci has accused drug
traffickers of organizing these demonstrations against the army.
In a press conference, Fasci said that he had evidence,

MONTERREY 00000073 002.2 OF 002


including photos, which proves drug traffickers were behind the
protests. However, no photos have been released. In our view
the allegations that drug traffickers are behind the recent
protest are credible. According to reliable Mexican police
sources, the protestors are from a poor section of Monterrey
controlled by the Zetas, an offshoot of the Gulf Cartel, and the
military presence in the area has been disruptive to their
operations. The protestors are being bussed in to the central
part of Monterrey and are paid roughly US$35 a person (which may
explain the high participation of children, infants and
elderly). Many of the male protestors in front of the Consulate
also had tattoos common among gang members.


7. (SBU) Despite the lack of public evidence of
narco-trafficker involvement, public opinion of the
demonstrations has been very negative. The public believes that
the protests are backed by drug traffickers and are a major
inconvenience. In general, demonstrations are rare in
Monterrey, and even then these protests are different than
normal demonstrations in Monterrey. The current protests are
made up of young, lower class citizens that have not typically
been politically active in Nuevo Leon. Additionally, no private
NGOs have backed the demonstrations. The protestors have not
been willing to talk to the press and in some cases have
attacked members of the press. The demonstrations have been
peaceful for the most part as police forces have been reluctant
to break up or arrest protestors since many of them are
children, infants or elderly. The latest demonstrations on
February 10 were dispersed by the state police forces but the
protestors were allowed to disrupt traffic for nearly two hours.


8. (C) Comment. There have been no recent military human
rights cases in Nuevo Leon, so it is hard to believe that these
protests were a spontaneous uprising of public sentiment against
the military. It seems far more likely that the military's
continued operations against drug cartels, while state and local
forces refuse to engage, is the real cause of these protests.
Based on press coverage and our sense of the situation, the
protests have not had the intended effect of bring public
pressure against the military, and the public appears supportive
of continued military operations. End Comment.
GRANDFIELDME