VZCZCXRO5221
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #2682/01 2481235
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041235Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3141
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 002682 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATORS DEMAND GOM ACTION ON RISING LEVELS 
OF VIOLENT CRIMES 
 
REF: MEXICO 2669 
 
REFTEL:  MEXICO 2669 
SUBJECT:  Demonstrators Demand GOM Action on Rising Levels of 
Violent Crimes 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Tens of thousands of Mexicans on marched 
in Mexico City on August 30 to protest rising levels of 
violence, with demonstrations taking place in over 80 other 
Mexican cities, as well as a number of U.S. cities. The 
demonstration was inspired by the recent kidnapping and 
murder of Fernando Marti, the 14 year-old son of prominent 
businessman Alejandro Marti. (See reftel.) Participants were 
not just protesting the rise in crime but also by what many 
see as the GOM's failure to address the issue. On August 31, 
the march's civil society organizers met with President 
Calderon to present their own crime-fighting proposals. End 
Summary. 
Impressive Turn Out at Anti-Crime Demonstration 
¶2. (SBU) Although the demonstration commenced in heavy rain, 
most observers estimated that it was as large if not larger 
than the last major anti-crime march in 2004. According to 
some observers, over 300,000 people took part in the 2004 
"March of Silence."  The editorial director of Mexico City 
newspaper El Universal, who took part in both marches, 
estimated that this year's march was larger than the 2004 
march and noted that this was the fourth big anti-crime march 
in the past 11 years. Alejandro Marti said he was satisfied 
with the August 30 demonstration, "Illuminemos Mexico" (Let's 
light up Mexico). 
Growing Skepticism of GOM's Crime Strategy 
¶3.  (SBU) The march was inspired by the recent kidnapping and 
murder of Fernando Marti, the 14 year-old son of prominent 
businessman Alejandro Marti. Participants were not only 
outraged by the rise in crime but also by what many see as 
the GOM's failure to address the issue.  According to a 
survey published by Mexico City newspaper El Universal August 
22, 81% of respondents stated that insecurity has increased 
and 59% judged that the federal government's response so far 
has failed to check this rise. Just over a third of those 
polled blamed the impunity enjoyed by criminals on "the 
inefficiency and corruption of the judges"; another third 
blamed the police. 
¶4.  (SBU) Another leading Mexico City newspaper, La Reforma, 
collated a mass of official data to make the same point. It 
noted that, over the past decade, the public security budgets 
had increased by 565% and that police forces had 
substantially increased their strength (the federal police by 
51% between 1999 and 2007, the Federal Investigation Agency 
(AFI) by almost 100% over the past six years). The federal 
public security ministry doubled its budget since 2000 to the 
equivalent of $1.9 billion; the office of the federal chief 
prosecutor (PGR) by 94% over the past decade, to about $918 
million. All told, the country now has 516,000 police 
officers, or 4.8 for every 1,000 inhabitants. 
¶5.  (SBU) Despite this effort, noted Reforma, the number of 
reported kidnappings rose by 45% over the past five years, 
and between 2006 and 2007 the number of crimes increased by 
8.6%. In Mexico City alone, in 2007, there were on average 
250 holdups and four murders a day. 
¶6.  (SBU) Two separate surveys published by Reforma August 27 
and September 1 (conducted just before the August 21 Crime 
Summit ) see reftel for more on the Crime Summit) shows a 
wide-ranging pattern of decline in public approval ratings. 
The August 27 poll shows that since March 2007, the armed 
forces have seen their approval rating fall from 70% to 63%, 
the Supreme Court from 49% to 40%, the Chamber of Deputies 
from 34% to 24%, the Senate from 36% to 24%, and political 
parties from 27% to 22%. Moreover, only 36% of respondents 
declared themselves satisfied with the way the democratic 
system is functioning in Mexico. Although the September 1 
Reforma poll shows that Calderon's approval rating of 62% is 
down only 3 percentage points since September 2007, 38% of 
those polled believe that he has been the least effective in 
the area of security ) his Administration's top priority ) 
while 22% said the economy. 
Civil Society Presents Security Proposals 
¶7.  (SBU) Following the march, President Calderon met with 14 
civic leaders who presented their own ten point plan of 10 
actions to improve security.  Calderon agreed to adopt 
several proposals of their plan, most of which are in line 
with the security pact adopted at last month's Crime Summit 
(see reftel).  Among the measures are the creation of a 
citizens' panel to monitor government progress in fighting 
crime, better police recruiting and oversight systems, and 
equipping police with more powerful weapons. Calderon offered 
 
MEXICO 00002682  002 OF 002 
 
 
few details about the proposed panel ) the Citizens' 
Institute of Social and Criminal Prevention ) but members of 
the 14 civic groups told reporters the president promised a 
concrete plan within a month. 
Comment 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The public clamor over rising levels of violent 
crime in Mexico, as evidenced by recently published polls and 
this past weekend's march, is bringing the Calderon 
administration under pressure to take action that evinces a 
greater sense of urgency and produce results that deliver the 
general population a greater sense of security.  This began 
with a shake-up of the federal Attorney General's Office 
(PGR), continued with the launching of special 
anti-kidnapping units, and culminated in the first full 
meeting of the national public security council, where a 
cross-section of leaders reached agreement on a 75-point 
strategy to combat organized crime.  Reinforcing these 
actions, Calderon emphasized security as his administration's 
top priority in his message as part of his Second State of 
the Union Address (see septel).  &We will not rest until you 
feel safe in the city where you live,8 he said.  Arguably, 
increased crime violence, particularly among the drug 
cartels, are a sign that the tougher security measures are 
hitting a nerve. Further, to be fair, reforming Mexico's 
security and its judicial system, clearly prerequisites for 
addressing the Mexico's crime challenge, will take time given 
inherent political, bureaucratic, and institutional 
resistance.  Nevertheless, as Mexico struggles to turn the 
page on the crime threat it faces and citizens grow impatient 
with the time it is taking, we can expect the debate over 
crime to take on significant political overtones. 
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 / 
GARZA