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INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 4547
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191828
2009-02-12 18:25:00
09MONTERREY64
Consulate Monterrey
CONFIDENTIAL
08MONTERREY182
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  2/11/2019 
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 00000064  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Consul General, Monterrey, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶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 andQederal 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 00000064  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