By: Óscar Balderas
Editor's Note: “Shouting in Michoacán:
Voices against the surrender” is a journalistic work that goes into social
networks to give a voice to the victims of violence in that state. It is by anonymous citizens- from websites
dedicated to fighting organized crime- for the first time they say what
happens on their land.
Part 1: Here
Fernando, 16, speaks in this second installment, from his school in Los Reyes,
Michoacán, where the people are already preparing their own community police.
August 21, 2013— I
hope my parents never find me on the cover of “La Extra”, that bloodthirsty
Michoacán newspaper. I don’t even want
them to see me hanging from a bridge, swinging, without any strength in my
hands to take off the noose from my neck, with socks soaked in blood, with a
lost look on my face bruised by asphyxiation.
I don’t want them to
ever eat breakfast, after a sleepless night looking for me, and they find me on
the police blotter, where those who are unfortunate end up by the narcos who
catch them for being thugs or for finding them in the act, place or at the
wrong time. May I never be picked up at
a medical examiner, at some public ministry, in a local police truck stuffed in
a black bag or on an operating room bed bleeding from gunshot wounds.
But if my wish cannot
be fulfilled, and my death is inevitable here I want my murderers to have the
decency to throw my body beside a road or near my town, Los Reyes, Michoacán,
where I can be found. Let my mother have
a mass in which to mourn me and my father a tomb on which to put flowers on. If those assholes have a heart, and my
destiny is to die before the age of 30, then they shouldn’t have me disappear
or put away in a narco grave. It’s not
for me, but for my parents, because I’ve seen my neighbors die without finding
living relatives, who’ve probably been killed long ago.
I know that from the
computer you winced when you read this.
You think I should aim higher. I
know that. Finish school, find a good
job, get married, build my house and have a fucking great old life, surrounded
by grandchildren and a green field. If I
lived somewhere else that would be my ideal life but since I live here, my
aspirations are cut off on living life as much as possible.
I didn’t always think
like this until a year ago. In Los Reyes
one could’ve gone out for a beer, eat in the nocturnal street markets, buy
clothes in downtown and insult the sun with a popsicle that you could eat in
the main square. Not anymore. If you do any of those things, you could end
up like Francisco who, for having light-colored eyes and wearing a red shirt,
was mistaken for a member of the Knights Templar cartel and someone shot him
eight times with an AK-47.
The narcos have
already caught the town. We are like
sheep surrounded by wolves who avoid the roads that we used to drive on in
order to be next to the sugar canes because now trucks crammed with armed men
who call themselves “los señores” use the roads.
And those “señores”
have changed everything. They are the
kings of Los Reyes. If they get in line
at the market, if they hit your car, if they point a grenade at you, if they
take your daughter, you should duck down, quickly walk home and finish thanking
God that you’re not Francisco and that they didn’t button your shirt with eight
holes.
Be thankful that
you’re not one of those two corpses that they hung from a bridge on the road
Los Reyes-Jacona on August 12, that you’re not one of those five bodies lying
on the steps of City Hall on July 22, or that you’re not one of those who have
a scary history like Adrián, Edna, Guillermo, Leonardo, Rafael and Sara.
But the odds of not
being a corpse increase as the days pass.
Each day, Michoacán and Los Reyes is worse. I see more deaths closer to me. One day, perhaps not far away, they throw an
unfortunate person in my garden and then I’ll know that I only have days left.
I wish they don’t make
me disappear, that they find my body, that they shoot me in my stomach so I can
have an open casket, that they leave my face intact so everyone can say their
goodbyes; that they don’t make “stew”, hang me, or find me in the paper with my
head open by gunshots.
If everything
continues to be the same—please—write down my wish.
Source: Revolución 3.0
Source: Revolución 3.0
I know the cartels make the majority of their money from smuggling brick weed. If the US legalizes weed will this give some peace to Mexico ? Or will it make no difference? How can ppl do this shit?
ReplyDeleteI get what you mean by brick weed. Though it is generlly true, many elitist American pot smokers delude themselves by thinking that they only smoke domestic product. Just because the weed is a little better than the compressed bunk does not mean that it is not profiting the Mexican cartels. They may smuggle some primo weed or grow it in the U.S.
DeleteThat's not necessary, we don't need to legalize dope.
DeleteAll that's needed is to deploy the military (just like Mexico does on its southern border) to the Mexican border. Further more, the military should plant anti-personal landmines up and down the border.
Lastly, deport ALL foreign nationals.
Shows how little you know. The majority of these big Cartels are profiting mostly from Cocaine and Meth sales. Weed is just a bonus now. This isnt the 80s... Very sad about Michoacan, absolutely insanity that EPN has done nothing about the Knights Templars. Maybe Chapo needs to try to take Mich like he did Juarez. It was pacification through elimination in Juarez and it worked, and its been proven to work throughout history. Look at every major super power. Usa, China, and Russia. They all committed the worst human genocides known throughout history. Yes, the USA killed more Native Americans than the Germans killed jews. Germany beleive it or not is behind those three major powers in that category. Point bieng, Chapo needs to take over Michoacan with bloodshed for their to be peace again like he did in Juarez.
DeleteBecome an Admin ^^^
Deletel l
6:26 your dumb lol it's true the majority of money is from bulk weed sales. Coke gets more money tho. And a higher profile that's why it's in the news more
Deletethey need to legalize kidnappings, assasinations,beheadings,rape,public corruption,etc,etc,etc...
Deletewhatever money drug trafficking makes is only for the z jefes,the sicarios have to extort kidnap and wash cars for the maruchan,they have to split the take with the big bosses,that is why all the crimes against the people,thanks for the greed ZETAZZ!!!
DeleteThe devils on the loose but his time is short.he and all those sick ppl will be avenged! Vengeance is mine sayeth the lord and i do believe that.it speaks of this in the last days!
ReplyDeleteEl chapo losing ground all over Mexico
ReplyDeleteWhy you stupid pothead, you think that this is even about pot? It's about power. Cartels own legitimate businesses as well and do well at it. Pot is just a sideline. The U.S. grows plenty of it's own pot. You'll want to legalize car theft, human trafficking, prostitution, child porn, money scams with the governments (both U.S. and Mexico). Why don't you and all your other pothead friends do us all a favor and ask one of the nice cartels to hang you off a bridge.
ReplyDelete8:07, Noting against pot heads or their critics,but drugs in general are the little secret business of the greedily nitwits that really love money, big bunches of money, and will use what money they already have to make more and more money,their robots will argue the good and the bad sides,kill each other,etc,the big boys will keep on making money,more and more m o n e y !
Deleteyep the cartels have legal businesses,and governments are taking care of that,cartels also have bunches of money in the banks,and when the bosses get killed or go to jail,the banks keep that money,but the biggest problems are caused by the sicarios that have to earn their own money because the big bosses don't pay them, big bosses are not pendejos,sicarios are so much more the pendejos.hey sicarios,kidnap the bosses for all their
Deletemoney and then we'll see who are the pendejos
Chaputo cant even control his own state
ReplyDeleteexcuse me but your plan to " deport ALL foreign nationals." is not very humane due to the fact that these women and children who escaped the brutal kidnappings rapes and beheadings will now be kidnapped raped and beheaded. so come up with a better plan because sending them to be kidnapped raped and beheaded is not the answer.
ReplyDelete@8:34 p.m i agree alot of them come to escape violence.i personally know a man from michoacan who left with his family and the reason he gave? Too many bodies in the street.we just send alot of them back to certain death at the bus stations when we deport them but some of the cartel guys blend into their community here and we need a better way of weeding those guys out of them.
DeleteWho is trying to take over pemex?that who behind the mayhem/destabilizing of Mexico? bet your arses.oh and their psycho-narcosicarios leading the charge to "restructure" pemex.we better prepare to re-expropriate everything,no indemnities will be paid,the executives will be lucky if they get "deported" ,how about that bitch
DeletePuro zeta
ReplyDeleteChapos and golfas getting decapitated all over Torreon keep sending more jotos.
ReplyDeletegreat artwork at the top that would make a nice tattoo...lol....BUT sad state where the youngsters have to worry abut their demise in gruesome ways instead of enjoying their youth.
ReplyDeletemy family is from los reyes. we use to go every December many years ago. we would drive from California to los Reyes with our truck full of stuff. loved it, it was something we all waited year long for to December to come to go to los reyes. now its a place I'm probably never going to visit again.
ReplyDeleteActually michoacan is owned by the knights templar,n they are alligned to el chapo,the ones doing all the killingss are zetas cuz they r everywere in mexico..they may hide during the day but at night is wen there doing there killings...
ReplyDeleteLas cabelleras templarias abajo de sus bacinillas,were trained by zetas,the original ex-military,when they were familia michuacana,and quickly became WORSE than the zetas,in murdering the people and in backstabbing each other,no te hagas pendejo,pinchi tutero culero!!!
DeleteOne correction regarding "genocides"... you meant Euros killed more Native Americans than they killed Jews, yes? Not just in the US but all the way down to Argentina and also in Canada. People don't speak Spanish on the majority of the Continent because Spaniards were nice and accommodating. Nor French/Portugese/and of course, English.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, what a sad sad situation when 16 yr olds are thinking of writing death wishes. That is something only 80 yr olds should be doing.
True idiot is only human being who can't grow his own weed. It doesn't take much space or intelligence to product. Just google growing tents. 3x3 foot tent gives you easily 200g good DRY weed (fuck the leaves). 400W lamp is enough.
ReplyDeleteAnd that 200g takes 2-3 months which is enough for you. :)
The penalties for growing your own are big, because if everybody starts doing that it would fuck up the monopolies that pay the big kickbacks to the big boys...,by the third time,it is life you know?
Deletelisten up Mexican citizens ! I don't want to hear that you're laying down waiting to die..you know where the narcos are and who they are ,I want to hear that you ambushed them, and shot them dead and then took their guns and went and shot their mothers in the face .
ReplyDeleteThis piece came from the heart,the person who wrote this has really seen it all.By God's grace he will not be killed,I always think what did I do to deserve a good life whilst other ppl are being killed nd are fighting for their lives.I guess all I can do is thank God nd pray for those who are exposed to violence.
ReplyDelete@8:20 for President.
ReplyDeletethe usa didnt kill any native americans dumb ass.england did.thats like saying mexicans killed and took the land from the native americans``texas and southern california``and then they cry when the usa took it from them.we should have took the whole country.then all the mexican could have been slaves and there wouldnt be any blacks
ReplyDelete8:15 and now the Mexicans are taking it all back,we are in Alaska,Canada,USA,the Caribbean islands, all over Latin America, them merican wives love to keep their little gardens very well kept...
Delete@8:15 a.m that has got to be the most ignorant statement ive heard yet on here.u should be hanging from a bridge down there instead of some of the innocent ppl that are.u need some serious help!!
ReplyDeleteThe same drugs traversing (Latin America and) Mexico traverses the USA until it reaches the final consumer. How come US law enforcement cannot stop it? Are the US cops lazy or poorly equipped? Maybe corrupt? All of the above maybe.
ReplyDeleteUntil the US shows how the distributing of drugs in the US can be stopped Mexico should legalize the transporting of drugs through its territory.
The us cops won't stop the drug flow until the overtime is in and they know where all the money is,see they don't work for one peso for the soda,they are real cops! ask osiel...
DeleteEach and every one of the cartel members is a coward, because they settle their business as a group and by using weapons. If they had to settle their business with the common man on a one to one basis, I bet they would get their asses handed to them. The cartel members of today don't even have the balls to go up against opposing cartel members in a straight up gun battle, without putting innocent lives in danger.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, it is legalized..by the corrupt cops and those who are really running the place! Less than 5% of murders are solved, entire police forces have been fired for corruption and nobody in authority can be trusted any kind of way.Cops were allowing kidnapped victims to actually be held in their jails..until ransom was paid..or until...The wardens were also allowing prisoners to leave prison at night, to go on killing strikes and return later in the morning! So, yes..in a way, it is "legalized". it's allowed to happen , given authority to do so, by those in authority who could prevent these things from ever occurring to begin with! Until corruption is dealt with..some kind of way, I see it only getting worse. When towns folks start having to take sides with the cartel members of their town, because they are less dirty than the public officials..that's really bad!! It's not like you can place your trust in a group of drug dealing, murdering, raping thugs!, but they are not the ones wearing the uniforms and badges...the cops wear them, but they don't respect them!
ReplyDelete