The Community Police on the CRAC's 16th anniversary celebration

REGIONAL COORDINATION OF COMUNAL AUTHORITIES OF THE MONTAÑA AND COSTA CHICA OF THE STATE OF GUERRERO

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMUNITARY POLICE

Community Territory. San Luis Acatlan, Guerrero. October 26. 2011.

TO THE GENERAL OPINION

TO THE BROTHERLY SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS

TO THE INFORMATION AGENCIES

On the Tuesday, 25th of October 2011 approximately at 10 AM, in the Community Justice Center of San Luis Acatlan we were informed that a military and federal police convoy of seven vehicles entered into the community territory through the San Luis Acatlan route passing by the communities of Horcasitas, Potrerillo del Rincón, Potrerillo Coapinole, Tuxtepec, Pueblo Hidalgo, Hondura Tigre arriving later on to the community of Buenavista. There they stop and asked how to get to the community of Pajarito Grande as they were supposedly lost. There they were given the requested information so they returned back on their way towards the latter location to which they arrived at the 1600 hrs and arrested our companion Agustín Barrera Cosme, councilor of this institution, on the charges of environmental offenses which supposedly took place months ago. After the detention, the convoy went back using the same route of San Luis Acatlan towards the port city of Acapulco having our companion under their custody, for whom we demand the immediate liberation.

This events happen in a general alert context among the communities that make part of our communal institution, as in the latter months, and particularly during the last days, we have seen alarmed an visible increasing rate of criminal and delinquency acts, specially those related to the drug trade in the region. A concrete example of this were the events that took place on the 13th and 14th of October of the current year precisely during the XVIth anniversary celebration of our Community Police, then our institution detained five persons involved in the transportation of thirty three packages of marijuana. They were traveling on three different vehicles and along with the concerned cargo there was found civil band radios y mobile phones. No weapons were find with them. The detainees identify themselves as Javier Ventura Morales and Marcos Ventura Morales of the community of Cahuañaña, Metlatonoc, Guerrero; Pedro Ponce Rodriguez and Feliciano Ponce Chávez, of the community of Rio Encajonado, Cochoapa El Grande, Guerrero; and Gabriel Orozco Nieto, who claimed to be from the Estado de Mexico State.

Considering the seriousness of the incident, the detainees were intermediately taken into custody by the Community Police and the case was presented to the highest authority of our institution the Regional Assembly of Authorities which will hold a meeting on the next 5th of November to determine the terms and proceedings of their sanction and re-education. On the same date, the final destiny of the above mentioned cargo and the other goods found during the detention will be determined.

We understand the possible implication of these events and we only ask the Federal and State government authorities to respect the proceedings and resolutions taken by the communitarian system to address this case, understanding that we are not in war against any one and in every case we will place the security, integrity and everyday life tranquility of our communities as our top priority as well as looking for the best conditions for the re-education of the detainees, respecting at all moment, but within our possibilities as a communitarian institution, their human rights.

We reject from now, the presence of military soldiers and Federal Police in the Communitarian Territory as it is actually undermining the security and peace of our people. We reassert our disposition for dialogue and joint coordination with the government agencies, but only under the frame of the respect towards our institutions and decision making mechanisms. We say no to submission nor subordination.

“ONLY THE PEOPLE SUPPORTS AND DEFENDS THE PEOPLE”

“THE RESPECT OF OUR RIGHTS SHALL BE JUSTICE”

REGIONAL COORDINATION OF COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNITARIAN POLICE

The Community Police is an organization of indigenous peoples (Tlapaneco, Mixteco, Nahua) and mestizos of the Costa Chica and Montaña, both regions in Guerrero State, which have 65 communities. It was created in 1995 to ensure public safety, seek and deliver justice, and re-educate offenders. It speaks through the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities (CRAC for its acronym in Spanish), the body reponsible for implementing and administering justice based on practices and customs.