AMBASSADOR VISITS SAN LUIS POTOSI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000008 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM ECON EFIN MX SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS SAN LUIS POTOSI REF: A. A) `08 MTY 349 ¶B. B) `08 MTY 350 MONTERREY 00000008 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary. On January 7, the Ambassador and the GoM's Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) Director of Operations Facundo Rosas Rosas and AmEmbassy Mexico's NAS Director, traveled to San Luis Potosi to tour the SSP's Training Academy. The facility has trained incoming SSP cadets since 2009 with NAS funding and instruction by U.S. and other international trainers. During his visit, the Ambassador met with Academy Director Severino Cartagena, San Luis Potosi Governor Fernando Toranzo, and state Public Security Secretary Galindo Cevallos. This was the first visit by a U.S. Ambassador to San Luis Potosi in over ten years. The Ambassador's remarks to the press at the Academy were covered by nearly 30 national and international media outlets. His comments to the press after his meeting with the Governor were covered by more than a dozen San Luis Potosi reporters. End Summary. SSP Training Academy -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At the SSP Training Academy, the Ambassador toured the facilities and met with Academy Director Severino Cartagena. Director Cartagena thanked the USG for the support and assistance it offered in the effort to train thousands of SSP cadre. Over 3,400 cadets have received instruction under the program so far with most students hailing from Mexico's Federal District and surrounding areas. He noted that the GoM wanted to change the way its law enforcement agents were trained as well as the public's perception of the federal police. Federal Police Director Rosas declared that supervisors were now emphasizing people skills, declaring that it is difficult to know how to be tough on criminals but also empathetic with crime victims. One of the lessons learned, according to Cartegena, was that students should first work on analyzing procedures and methods before being assigned to field work. ¶3. (SBU) Cartagena stated that the Academy works with some of Mexico's finest universities and has a diverse student body. Women make up more than 40 percent of its cadets and 94 percent of the recruits possess a university degree. Rosas observed that the low prevailing salary level was a barrier to attracting students, as was the emphasis on cadets having a university degree. Many college graduates, he continued, are not interested in becoming police officers. Cartagena praised the quality of the international instructors (who, in addition to the U.S., have come from Spain, Colombia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic),noting that they teach in teams alongside Mexican instructors. International instructors, he stated, tended to share their real life experiences with students which was something that the Mexican teachers usually did not do. ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador asked when Mexican instructors would take over all of the teaching duties at the Academy. Director Rosas replied that this year's plan was to keep improving the quality of the Mexican instructors. Rosas also noted that the Academy was developing courses that would teach instructors to train other trainers. The Ambassador inquired if the Academy representatives kept in contact with graduates to ensure they received continuing education, or if the Academy had any type of formal alumni network in place. Cartagena recognized that the institution needed to find a way to use its recent graduates to recruit future cadets and to establish a continuing education program. Rosas added that the Academy also needed to measure the impact made by individual graduates. He declared that recent events in Morelia had shown that some graduates were doing good work. The Ambassador commented that they might consider introducing a self-evaluation component as well, whereby graduates could assess their experiences and training. Session with Governor Toranzo -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador met with Governor Fernando Toranzo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) at the Governor's residence. Toranzo explained that he had been trained as a surgeon and had dedicated his career to the field of public health and medicine. He had served as a state representative and twice as state Secretary of Health. The Governor compared security problems in Mexico to an epidemic which knows no boundaries. While San Luis Potosi has not been affected as severely as other regions of the country, it is still an issue which he takes seriously, he said. Toranzo stated that in MONTERREY 00000008 002.2 OF 002 coming days the state would reopen its state police academy, previously in disrepair, and which is located adjacent to the SSP academy. The state plans to offer graduates from its academy a university-level degree. The Governor commented that state law enforcement authorities work well with their federal counterparts. Every Monday, he chairs a cabinet meeting with the heads of all federal agencies that have offices in San Luis Potosi. Cooperation and information sharing is key to success, he concluded. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador stated that governability was not won through military action or brute force. It was won with strong institutions, rule of law, and the collaboration of all interested parties. He noted positive signs in Tijuana, where the authorities conducted joint police/military operations. Working together, he said, generates positive results. ¶7. (SBU) Turning to economic issues, Toranzo stated that he sought to reactivate the state's economy. He welcomed foreign investment and said that he planned to travel to Mexico City to meet with the American Chamber of Commerce. State development agencies, he continued, were offering attractive incentive packages to companies considering San Luis Potosi. Toranzo noted that, given the state's strategic location in the geographic center of the country, with easy connections to the Pacific in the west, the Gulf to the east, and the U.S. to the north, his administration wanted to make San Luis Potosi a high-quality distribution center. Eighty-five percent of Mexico's GDP is produced within a four-hour driving radius of San Luis Potosi. The Ambassador spoke of Nuevo Leon's effort to establish an inland port, which would consist of a customs area and connecting distribution infrastructure. If successful this could help move border activities away from the crowded geographic border. The Governor noted that San Luis Potosi hoped to build an international cargo airport, and was looking at public and private financing options for this and other key projects. The Ambassador suggested that the Governor learn more about USAID's municipal bond development program. C-4 Center -------------- ¶8. (U) Subsequent to the meeting with the Governor, the Ambassador toured the state's C-4 (Command, Control, Coordination, and Computer Center) facility, where he met with San Luis Potosi state Public Security Secretary Galindo Cevallos. At the C-4 center, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities can monitor incidents (using cameras posted in key locations throughout the state/city) and coordinate responses. Galindo declared that San Luis Potosi's C-4 analysis unit was one of the best in the country. ¶9. (SBU) Comment. The Ambassador's visit to the national Police Training Academy in San Luis Potosi highlighted the important collaboration between Mexico and the U.S. under the Merida Initiative at a critical time in Mexico's fight against organized crime. Director Rosas took pains to publicly thank the Ambassador throughout the day for USG cooperation, particularly at the press conference. Although Governor Toranzo is aligned with the PRI party, he is considered independent and has a good working relationship with all parties and municipal, state, and federal agencies. The Governor is keenly focused on economic opportunities, education, public health, and security. San Luis Potosi's C-4 Center is considered one of the best in the country and a positive example of inter-agency cooperation. End Comment. WILLIAMSONB