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http://www.npr.org/2014/01/16/262946892/militias-in-mexican-state-keep-up-fight-against-cartel
Mexican forces are moving into the country's western state of Michoacan. The huge federal force is trying to disarm a growing number of civilian militias, which have been fighting against a ruthless drug cartel that controls much of the state.
Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Mexico has been fighting a war on drug cartels for years, and it also has become a war with more than two sides. Thousands of federal police and army troops are pouring into the state of Michoacan, on the Pacific Coast. For years, that state has been home to gangs running drugs, and also forcing farmers to pay protection money just to take their crops to market. In response, people in Michoacan formed militias to fight back. And until recently, the government seemed to encourage them. Now, Mexico is trying to disarm those militias. NPR's Carrie Kahn is in the state capital, Morelia, and joined us. Good morning.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee.
MONTAGNE: Give us a picture of what's going on there right now.
KAHN: It is still a very tense situation. There's a large military and federal police presence right now. The federal police continue to come into the area. The federal police came into two major towns in this western region of Michoacan and disbanded the local police. The local police have long been accused of being in collusion with the drug cartels here and the organized crime gangs. Earlier in the week, there was a clash between the federal police and these armed civilian militias. They're trying to disarm them. And there was a clash, and the federal police actually shot and killed two civilians in these towns. Yesterday, they said they arrested two cartel members, but the militias say that's not good enough.
The story continues: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/16/262946892/militias-in-mexican-state-keep-up-fight-against-cartel
Mexican forces are moving into the country's western state of Michoacan. The huge federal force is trying to disarm a growing number of civilian militias, which have been fighting against a ruthless drug cartel that controls much of the state.
Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Mexico has been fighting a war on drug cartels for years, and it also has become a war with more than two sides. Thousands of federal police and army troops are pouring into the state of Michoacan, on the Pacific Coast. For years, that state has been home to gangs running drugs, and also forcing farmers to pay protection money just to take their crops to market. In response, people in Michoacan formed militias to fight back. And until recently, the government seemed to encourage them. Now, Mexico is trying to disarm those militias. NPR's Carrie Kahn is in the state capital, Morelia, and joined us. Good morning.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee.
MONTAGNE: Give us a picture of what's going on there right now.
KAHN: It is still a very tense situation. There's a large military and federal police presence right now. The federal police continue to come into the area. The federal police came into two major towns in this western region of Michoacan and disbanded the local police. The local police have long been accused of being in collusion with the drug cartels here and the organized crime gangs. Earlier in the week, there was a clash between the federal police and these armed civilian militias. They're trying to disarm them. And there was a clash, and the federal police actually shot and killed two civilians in these towns. Yesterday, they said they arrested two cartel members, but the militias say that's not good enough.
The story continues: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/16/262946892/militias-in-mexican-state-keep-up-fight-against-cartel
