Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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http://www.cambiodemichoacan.com.mx/vernota.php?id=123606

http://apnews.myway.com/...00424/D9F9ISGO1.html (English version)

Reports this morning say that a fourth man, a civilian injured in the attack late Saturday night, died while receiving treatment at Star Médica, a private hospital in Morelia. The security chief, Minerva Bautista Gómez, is hospitalized and is said to be in stable condition, although she has serious injuries from three gunshots to her left side. Two of the security chief's bodyguards and two civilians were killed by high-powered weapons. Many more civilians were injured.

The ambush occurred at about 12:30AM as the security chief and her bodyguards were returning to Morelia from the state fairgrounds, where the State Fair had just opened. At the opening, Gov. Leonel Godoy addressed the crowd saying, in part, that no one who attended the fair needed to be fearful of attacks by criminals.

*sigh*

ETA: Associated Press English version

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(This post was edited by esperanza on Apr 24, 2010, 11:37 AM)

Apr 25, 2010, 8:48 AM

Post #2 of 22 (15138 views)

Re: [esperanza] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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This incident not only made our Sunday paper but also the TV news. In trying to sort out the various reports, there is some confusion over the time line. As near as I can grasp, this happened shortly after midnight Friday night or actually very early Saturday morning. This incident is a serious attack on the Government efforts to bet matters under control in Michoacan.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

esperanza

Apr 25, 2010, 10:02 AM

Post #3 of 22 (15124 views)

Re: [chinagringo] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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There were actually two separate but connected attacks in Morelia on Saturday.

The first one, on the road near the new state fairgrounds, took place just moments after midnight--the earliest hour of Saturday morning. The attackers had hijacked a tractor-trailer truck and used it to block the road, trapping the vehicles that the Secretaria de Seguridad Pública and her bodyguards were in as they traveled from the grand opening of this year's state fair back to the city of Morelia. Literally thousands of spent AK-47 shells (and other shells from high-powered weapons) were found on the road. Two bodyguards and two civilian bystanders were killed in the attack; the chief of Seguridad Pública was injured. She and ten other injured people are still hospitalized.

The second attack took place on Saturday at 5:17AM. I know the precise time because the attack was against the Centro de Protección Ciudadana, approximately three blocks from my house. That center is part of the Seguridad Pública complex of buildings. The horrible explosion awakened me--"Oh my god, it's a bomb"--and I immediately looked at the time, which is projected onto the bedroom ceiling. No one was injured in the attack, although the grenade damaged the building and three vehicles parked outside it.

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(This post was edited by esperanza on Apr 25, 2010, 10:04 AM)

Apr 25, 2010, 4:58 PM

Post #4 of 22 (15062 views)

Re: [esperanza] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Thank you Esperanza! The mixing together of the two stories would explain some or most of all of the crossover in timelines.

As I have stated in the past, Michoacan is so far our favorite State in Mexico - granted from our somewhat limited travels in Mexico. We certainly are distressed to see this happening in that wonderful area!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Apr 26, 2010, 9:54 PM

Post #5 of 22 (14922 views)

Re: [chinagringo] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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As I have stated in the past, Michoacan is so far our favorite State in Mexico....

Tell me something, Neil, why is that so? Michoacan is many things but it is mainly a diverse, mountainous and rural place of great poverty with only one city of significance and that city of Morelia is a small regional capital of little note as far as I can tell. What is it that attracts you to this place so unattractive to its natives that most of them have moved to Fresno?

Peter

Apr 26, 2010, 11:07 PM

Post #6 of 22 (14916 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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...most of them have moved to Fresno?
_________

Are you sure about that? I thought most had moved to Oxnard.

Apr 27, 2010, 6:48 AM

Post #7 of 22 (14893 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Dawg:

If you were to read my post thoroughly, you would note that I had included the following limiter: "granted from our somewhat limited travels in Mexico." That statement alone should limit comparisons between someone such as yourself or others with such extensive travel experience within the Country of Mexico. I also used the word "our" to properly designate that it was simply our opinion and not a blanket statement that Michoacan should be a favorite for everyone.

Our positive feelings towards Michoacan are dictated not by one factor but rather an overall feeling that we have when there. We have traveled most of the back roads between Lake Chapala and Lake Patzcuaro and those surrounding Lake Patzcuaro and really enjoy the Artisan culture of the individual towns and villages along with the scenics of this mountainous rural area. As far as your mention of Morelia goes, we have not spent any time there but it is on our list our future visits.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Vichil

Apr 27, 2010, 7:20 AM

Post #8 of 22 (14887 views)

Re: [Peter] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Actually all of our vineyard workers in the Napa Valley came from Michoacan. Many of them worked in the Northern California vineyards of the upscale wineries as they made more money there than in the Central Valley. A large part of the agricultural work force in the Central Valley came from Oaxaca and Chiapas.
All the highly paid grafters came from Michoacan.

What is happening in Michoacan is really sad, so many people killed because of drug and money, what a tragedy.

(This post was edited by Vichil on Apr 27, 2010, 7:23 AM)

dmhaun

Apr 27, 2010, 9:06 AM

Post #9 of 22 (14868 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Why are you besmirching Michoacan?
Morelia is hardly a "small regional capital." It is a Unesco World Heritage site and home for over 600,000 residents. The magical Lake Patzcuaro is only 30 miles away.
How many "cities of significance" are in the state where you live. Many state capitals in Mexico are smaller than Morelia, including the one in Chiapas.

Apr 27, 2010, 9:15 AM

Post #10 of 22 (14859 views)

Re: [dmhaun] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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I would not take Dawg's comments personally. Rather than being directed at residents of Michoacan, I believe that he was baiting me since we do have a history of doing such.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Nancy Sanders

Apr 27, 2010, 10:08 AM

Post #11 of 22 (14847 views)

Re: [chinagringo] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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There is nothing personal about smearing Michoacan. If hounddog is baiting you on-line, in a public forum, and bad-mouthing Mexico at the same time, his rude remarks should be moved to private emails. Or, back to kindergarten.

Peter

Apr 27, 2010, 11:01 AM

Post #12 of 22 (14836 views)

Re: [Nancy Sanders] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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His optical-rectalitis can be contagious, caution is advised. If his condition prevents him from seeing the beauty in our fair state then that may work to our advantage lest the disease spread.

Apr 27, 2010, 4:43 PM

Post #13 of 22 (14790 views)

Re: [Peter] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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...most of them have moved to Fresno?
_________

Are you sure about that? I thought most had moved to Oxnard.

Where, no doubt, they would have improved the gene pool.

I must say, Peter, that I like your sense of humor.

People who defend places in which they live but also about which they are uncertain and regard ambivalently are always defending those places and become easy marks for gratuitous jibes delivered with less than serious intent. Lots of people living in backward towns such as Des Moines defend such two bit cow towns as "world class". Can you imagine a resident of Paris or New York defending those places as "world class"? Residents of Paris could not possibly care a whit as to what some redneck old fart living in Ajijic thinks of their town. Dawg is constantly amused.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 27, 2010, 5:01 PM)

Peter

Apr 27, 2010, 5:49 PM

Post #14 of 22 (14771 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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October in Oxnard. Lovely.
Under the moon by the sea,
her jack-o-lantern smile.

Nancy Sanders

Apr 27, 2010, 6:55 PM

Post #15 of 22 (14759 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Hounddog, I didn't understand your response, especially the part about Paris and New York. You were asked why you posted about Michoacan having "no cities of significance, except Morelia, which was a small regional capital." Using your own criteria, how does your state compare to Michoacan? What cities of significance are in your state? What is the size of your state capital, compared to Morelia. I think its a very interesting subject matter you started. Thanks, Nancy

Apr 27, 2010, 8:08 PM

Post #16 of 22 (14748 views)

Re: [Nancy Sanders] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Nancy:

I live in two states. Jalisco and Chiapas. The former being one of the richest states in the Mexican union and the latter being easily the poorest. I like variety. The capitals of those two states are common knowledge but we live in neither so what is your point?

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Apr 27, 2010, 8:14 PM)

Nancy Sanders

Apr 29, 2010, 7:59 PM

Post #17 of 22 (14658 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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This thread started because of a sad situation. Your response was to smear Morelia. What exactly was YOUR point?

Apr 30, 2010, 4:49 PM

Post #18 of 22 (14591 views)

Re: [Nancy Sanders] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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Nancy:

It is often best to ignore some of the Dawg's comments since his sense of humor may take years to understand. He has a habit of smearing certain aspects of living in Ajijic and the Lake Chapala area in total.

I am guessing that you did a good deal of research before settling on moving to Michoacan and are quite naturally defensive of the decision that you made to make a life there. It is a good thing that we all don't like and appreciate exactly the same places or it would be way too crowded.

As former homeowners in the Lake Chapala area, I could go into a great deal of criticism on various aspects of living there but what would be the point. If we were in the mood to purchase another home in MX, at this point in time Patzcuaro or the general area would be our choice.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

May 1, 2010, 8:31 AM

Post #19 of 22 (14548 views)

Re: [chinagringo] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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As former homeowners in the Lake Chapala area, I could go into a great deal of criticism on various aspects of living there but what would be the point. If we were in the mood to purchase another home in MX, at this point in time Patzcuaro or the general area would be our choice.
Regards,

You know, Neil:

I am one of your fans but I must say: Pátzcuaro? A pretty town but a town of little merit.Once you have been there for more than two hours you must wonder why you went there in the first place. What a dump.

May 1, 2010, 8:53 AM

Post #20 of 22 (14542 views)

Re: [Hound Dog] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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OK Dawg:

First of all I did state "the general area" but I failed to state that it would require a minimum of 6 months renting before any decision on purchasing would happen. Another instance of different strokes for different folks and our current inclination is NOT to buy again in Mexico but to continue with our travels exploring and enjoying Mexico.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

May 1, 2010, 1:11 PM

Post #21 of 22 (14521 views)

Re: [chinagringo] Attack Against Morelia's Chief of Public Security

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God, Neil, I am inclined to agree with you but we bought these two houses in Ajijic and San Cristóbal de Las Casas and I would lke to sell either of them to you but I see your are not in the market. Damn.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 1, 2010, 1:13 PM)

Jun 28, 2010, 3:58 PM

Post #22 of 22 (13442 views)