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Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Human Rights denounces Army for Hidalgo tragedy

Translated by El Profe for Borderland Beat from Noreste
             
The military knew of the illegal fuel theft four hours before the fire
 
The National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH) has sent the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a complaint about the role of the military in the explosion last Friday in Tlahuelilpan (Hidalgo). The organization has asked the Mexican government for information on the precautions it took to try to avoid the tragedy. After the incident, the Administration of López Obrador acknowledged that only 25 soldiers arrived at Tlahuelilpan and that the Ministry of Defense had knowledge of the hydrocarbon leak four hours before the fire, which killed at least 91 people. "Information has been requested from authorities of the different levels and orders of government, to know first hand their version and the sense that, if it was the case, its intervention in the incident," the CNDH said in a statement.
 
The authorities have described a scenario in which between 600 and 800 people crowded to fill drums of gas, and that although the security forces came to add 60 elements -between soldiers, gendarmes and federal police- they were not able to stop the people. López Obrador has defended the role of the Armed Forces in this case and has assured that he will give all the information available to the CNDH. The Mexican Prosecutor will also collect the testimonies of the members of the Ministry of Defense, local authorities and workers of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) involved in this emergency to expand the investigation.
 
The oil company has explained that it tried to stop the flow of gasoline as fast as possible, but that since the pipeline operation system delays in decreasing the pressure with which the hydrocarbon travels, the supply was gradually reduced over some hours. "As soon as we learned about things, we acted in accordance with the safety protocol that indicates the closure of the pipeline and the isolation of the valves," explained Octavio Romero Oropeza, director of Pemex. The military has insisted that the gas leak was not large when they approached to observe the situation, but that a source of liquid rose in the field when the inhabitants of Tlahuelilpan began to fill their drums.
 
Since December 20, López Obrador has opted to fight the theft of hydrocarbons in central and western Mexico. His plan has included the surveillance of several oil installations belonging to Pemex, under the responsibility of the Armed Forces, as well as substantial changes in the logistics of gasoline distribution. The president has assured that with his strategy the thefts have diminished considerably in the last weeks, but he has also recognized that the theft of fuels, popularly known as huachicolero, has penetrated into diverse municipalities of the country in the last years becoming a very complex problem.
 
As of this Tuesday, the Government of López Obrador will begin a strategy in 80 municipalities, close to Pemex pipelines, to analyze the social problems that have led these communities to depend on fuel theft. "They will receive a lot of support from the development programs, from the welfare programs. The most humble people will have an income, they will have a way to work honestly, without the need for these illicit activities," the president said.

23 comments:

  1. Human rights need to get their heads out of their ass! There was around 600 people taking part of the theft, yes the government could've done better and send it riot control or some other type of adequate reinforcement but to blame the military is beyond stupid. If there was 300 soldiers they would've complaint about that too. The Army should just tell them that their beloved criminals they always defend wouldn't be getting hurt, arrested or killed if they would behave and not engage in illegal activity, play stupid games win stupid prizes.

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  2. Human Rights where have you been hiding.. , fuel theft has been happening for years, that people got used to stealing it. Also what you going to do about Mexico high homicide rate? You pop into the picture rather late.

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    Replies
    1. What Human Rights organization? Of Mexico or the USA?

      Delete
    2. As people in general how about we say the 🇺🇳 UN do something about it with the AMLO govt giving full aide and transparency

      Delete
    3. We are going to do Nada, just collect our checks and bribes and drink some hot coco.

      Delete
    4. Pinchie human rights no servin para Nada.

      Delete
  3. Any chance to point the finger. How about you point to the lowlife degenerate thieves who steal and plunder the nation's fuel supply? How about when the police, those not already corrupt, go to police the area where the thieves steal fuel, the police are fired upon? Go take your worthless blame game somewhere else. These people died because of their own greed. Had they been being productive or working legit, then they wouldn't have been in the same place as the explosion.

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  4. This is a terrible and horrifying tragedy. But if the Army had used force to stop them, CNDH would still be all up in their grill, and a bunch of young soldiers might have gotten burned up too through no fault of their own. You can't reason with people who are capable of splashing around in gasoline like they're at Wet n Wild in Orlando.

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  5. ala mierda Derechos humanos, ezoz cabrones defienden a pura pinchi lacra webona, expulsenlos de mx y ke rife pemex y AMLO. 🤠

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  6. Typical leftist strategy to assign blame and ignore the facts.

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  7. I totally agree with you. The military personnel were outnumbered. They were actually threatened by some of the thieves. They did what they could. They told the people it was dangerous and to get away, but they would not listen. Imagine, their last act on earth was stealing gas....and then afterward to stand in the presence of the Lord. Sad.

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    Replies
    1. No one would put themselves in harm's way when outnumbered. Nor where the risk is high.
      Shooting at those criminals from stealing would have been addressed by human rights organizations too. Moreover, igniting the situation which it did.

      Blame falls on many sides, Pemex workers, citizens?

      Delete
  8. TF most niguas running to the spill were prepared cuh. Like they done this befoe had them bigg ass containers at the ready. If anythang pops up here all i got is my sunny delight jug and my 5 gallon garrafon i fill at the laundry mat foe 1.25 of pueified water.

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    Replies
    1. ESA tragedia es parte del bussiness, ahora de ke ze kejan los familiares de ke no YEGARA el billete.

      Delete
    2. La verdadera tragedia aqui es que no puedan escribir una oracion que se pueda entender ¡con una chingada!

      The real tragedy is people not writing "worth a lick", here I am trying to decode WTF he wrote.

      Delete
  9. Goddam. This makes me so angry. The army was there and told to stand down because the tension. Fucking dumbass human rights groups

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  10. CNDH LAWSUIT IS TOTAL BULLSHIT!! AGREE WITH ALL OF YOU!

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  11. I've seen videos taken way before the explosion.

    The video showed streams of fuel showering high in the air and much of it atomizing....And, the people , like at a picnic harvesting fuel in all kinds of containers.

    To those familiar with military "fuel bombs" these videos foretold a chilling prelude to firey disaster.

    Then came the night videos of people running on fire though fields.... some falling and likely dying horribly.

    I have all kinds of mixed feelings ranging from pity to anger about the event. It is up to Mexicans themselves to deal with this kind of tradgedy. I am only an outside video observer.
    Mexico-Watcher

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    Replies
    1. Maybe if people knew from right and wrong this wouldn't happen? Moreover, the consequences?
      Its tragic indeed. However, a costly lesson for all those who even think in participating in a crime.

      Common sense and rational is often at odds.

      Delete
  12. The clueless organizations include Pueblos Sin Fronteras who told caravanistas outright lies about how a mass of inmigrantes would make it "safe to travel" and pressure the gringos to admit them en mass.They said "YES!" to one man who asked if he could earn MORE dollars in the EUA than I earn. I say "INVITE the so-called Human Rights individuals to shepherd the ratones, and invite Pueblos Sin Fronteras, to walk alongside caravanistas to protect them from sicarios, ladrones, killer weather, and endless waiting in sub human conditions. The problem is, THESE GROUPS HAVE NO ACCOUNTABILITY.

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  13. Reminded me of zoolander when they are playing with gas. Army was smart for standing back. What else could they do?

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  14. Most of the people there could care less about authority and were warned. Some of the relatives of deceased and survivors even blamed themselves. The Human Rights Comission would be bitching anyway if the Army had actually intervened.

    Q

    ReplyDelete

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