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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | January 2008 
Uneasy Peace; Army's Presence Evident in Nuevo Laredo
 Julian Aguilar - Laredo Morning Times
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| | Mexican federal agents escort U.S. Marcos Estrada Delgado, who allegedly works for the Arellano Felix and Gulf cartel, during his arrival to an airport in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. Delgado was arrested during Saturday's operations in Nuevo Laredo across the border from Laredo, Texas, after bloody clashes between federal agents and gunmen who allegedly work for Gulf drug cartel. (AP/Marco Ugarte) | | |
Though signs of the Mexican military's presence in Nuevo Laredo slowly begin to fade as one travels farther into the city and away from the port of entry, residents say its effect can still be felt in the border city. "There do seem to be fewer people out," said a taco vendor who would identify himself only as "Charlie." "Maybe they've heard about the violence in other cities when the military comes in and decided it was best for them to stay indoors."
On Tuesday, the Mexican military ordered the Nuevo Laredo municipal police to relinquish their firearms and radios. Those police officers the military did not detain for further investigation were instead told to go home.
The crackdown was part of Mexican President Felipe Calderón's ongoing effort to remove the corruptive elements from local law enforcement entities, which he acknowledged was hindering his administration's efforts to fight the escalating war between rival drug cartels in Nuevo Laredo and other border cities.
Just down the road from "Charlie"'s taco stand - which sits at the corner of Guerrero and Tamaulipas streets - Carlos Gonzalez, a manager of Banorte Bank, said he could not predict what outcome, if any, the army's presence would have on the city's businesses. He did say, however, that locals seemed to have more confidence in the military and said he wouldn't have any problem if questioned or searched by any military official.
"If the army stops me," he said. "I can drive away confident."
Less than a block away, however, a newspaper vendor said he had no comment about the army's presence, waving away questions and saying instead he had to get back to work.
A man who manned a beverage cart also refused to give his name and said that although he lived in Nuevo Laredo, he wouldn't be the one to ask about people's sentiments about the army patrolling the streets.
A woman who works at the taco stand with "Charlie" said that though the army presence could be felt, she thought they operated more secretly than the local police did. Just minutes before she began talking, she said, two soldiers "just appeared" and questioned a man, then let him go. The soldiers, she said, left as quickly as they came.
"Who knows where they came from," she said. "In reality, you really don't know who to trust."
"Charlie" and his co-worker conceded that residents seem to have lost all faith in the local authorities.
They related the story of a fatal traffic accident years ago, where they heard that the person responsible gave the investigating officers a few hundred pesos and was eventually let go. The man was an influential politician, they believed, and was not punished. There didn't seem to be any due process, the couple agreed.
"A local cop can say, ‘Sure, just give me 500 pesos,' because it's more convenient for him," he said.
But despite their lack of faith in those who are supposed to protect and serve - and even in their elected officials - they still seem somewhat proud of their hometown and say corruption exists anywhere, not just in Nuevo Laredo. They talk about the recent corruption in Laredo to prove their point and are not surprised to hear about the recent violence in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, where more than 25 people have been killed since Jan. 1.
But some residents, like the manager at El Toro Motel, who did not want to give her name, said the military presence was a good thing, though she said it was routine.
"They're just here to check on things and then they'll go," she said, adding that the army had been to the city before.
It also appeared to be business as usual at City Hall, where not a single soldier or armored vehicle was seen during the mid-afternoon hours. A secretary at Mayor Ramón Garza Barrios' office said he was not available, as he was attending a function, and city employees could be seen helping and directing citizens to the proper offices for whatever business or needs they may have had.
A school bell preceded the typical laughter and playful mischief of private-school girls and boys in uniform, who were honked at as they dangerously ran across busy streets near downtown.
Just down the block from the school, however, a restaurant employee was still not completely confident that the army's presence had not affected life in the border city, at least temporarily.
When asked about the empty tables throughout the restaurant during what could be considered the late lunch hour, she said that maybe it was the recent cold front that was keeping people inside.
Then she looked up from her broom and gave a shy smile.
"Actually, it's not that cold," she said.
Julian Aguilar may be reached at jaguilar(at)lmtonline.com |
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