Gov of Jalisco Says Wave of Violence is Not Over

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Universal

Guadalajara, Jalisco Feb 8, 2018

After the violent day of Tuesday in Jalisco, in which in less than 12 hours 17 people were murdered, the governor of the state, Aristotle Sandoval , acknowledged that the situation in the state is critical.

" Complicated days are coming, I will not lie to you , the wave of violence is not going to end, what we can and are obliged to do, and what we are going to do is contain it, we have  skin in the game , to prevent this crisis from shaking our state, Gov Sandoval said during a state tour of  deliveries of patrols and equipment to authorities in Jalisco's 112 municipalities.

He went on to say that to contain the wave of insecurity that exists in the entire country there is no other route than the coordination between police corporations and the continuous work of the authorities of the three levels of government.

                             Strong words from Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval

"Let's not stop raising our voices: if the violence is normalized we will have lost the battle and it is time to invite everyone in our schools, our parents,  to organize  our society and from now on  tell and teach  the young people who believe that crime and the narco lifestyle is the easiest exit door , to those who believe that this is the best way to live keep telling them that they are making serious mistakes, that very soon all of it will end badly, " he said.

He acknowledged that Jalisco has been in the eye of the hurricane for years and that crime rates have increased.

                                                 "What to do? Where to walk? :

To answer these questions it is necessary to refer again to the need to be clear and concise, we have to, without excuse or pretext, improve the coordination between security corporations; the first objective is the need and I want to clarify that  frankly,  this is not a political resource, the electoral thing does not interest me, we want to have dedicated full-time authorities performing  their functions, governor - 24/7, mayors - 24/7, we must understand that the situation is critical and has no signs of improving, " states the governor of the State of Jalisco .

Gov Sandoval said "to the case of the mayor of the Metropolitan Area of ​​Guadalajara, ie Pablo Lemus of Zapopan, he has refused to personally attend the security coordination meeting held every Monday per month." 

Thus, he insisted on the need to hold weekly coordination meetings and recognized the officials who attend the security councils and the metropolitan coordination meeting hold the key to success.

"To those who do not, I extend the invitation again ; to contain the violence there is no other route than coordination, it is not a cliché to say that if we are coordinated we are stronger, that if we are united we can then summon society to join to the union; we are the ones who must and we will set the example, in this space I want to point out that the most important resource that the country has and, of course, our state is to face the crisis in society as a whole, " he said. 

He also called on society to denounce anything that affects their tranquility and those that seek to disturb it.

"Let's say we're not going to leave, let's say we know that this is a stage of horror, but calm will come soon, let's say that they can not be stronger than us, that they can not and will not intimidate us, that's why I call the  whole to denounce the violence,  to extirpate  any kind of apology of crime, narco-culture or glorification of violence as a route to resign ourselves to the conflict. "

In Addition to the Eight Mutilated Bodies found in Guadalajara (see Chivis Post from March 6)

A US Doctor Bludgeoned to Death in Puerto Vallarta last week:
From Various Sources:

A beloved UAB doctor has died after he suffered a severe head injury while on vacation in Mexico.

William Thomas O'Byrne III, 54, was pronounced dead Wednesday, March 2 at UAB Hospital (University of Alabama ) where he was on life support after he was flown back to the United States. O'Byrne was an anesthesiologist who specialized in critical care.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office confirmed they were notified of a William O'Byrne's death at UAB Hospital following the reported assault in Mexico. Because the incident took place outside of Jefferson County, Al the coroner's office here is not involved per state law.

Details about what led to the injury aren't clear. Friends say O'Byrne took a vacation with his friends to Puerto Vallarta when he was severely beaten and left for dead in a ditch. His friends found him at a hospital where he was hooked up to a ventilator. He was later flown back to Alabama.

That account hasn't been confirmed by American authorities. Law enforcement officials in Birmingham, Alabama said they haven't been made aware of the incident. If any crime happened, the law enforcement jurisdiction would be in Mexico. Inquiries to the U.S. Dept of State were not immediately answered.

A spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said they are aware of the case, and are working to gather information for release. On Friday, they released this statement to AL.com: "We are aware of reports regarding a U.S. citizen injured in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Out of respect for the family, we decline further comment at this time."

O'Byrne, a Blount County native, graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 1997. He most recently worked UAB Hospital, where he was also an associate professor.

UAB officials provided only this statement: "At the request of the family, we have been asked not to release any information."

Dr. Jason Hall, an anesthesiology resident at Duke, said O'Byrne was a special man.

"Like he was to so many medical students and residents before me, he was my mentor and friend,'' Hall said. "He was a gifted physician trained both in medicine and anesthesiology with fellowship training in critical care. He showed kindness and genuine concern for his patients above and beyond that of other physicians."

Hall said O'Byrne always demonstrated the utmost respect for his colleagues and co - workers.

"He was loved by many wherever he went, be it UAB, New Mexico, or Vanderbilt,'' Hall said. 

"His passing is a terrible loss for the medical community, and he will be truly missed. His friendship and advice has comforted and motivated me throughout my medical training, and I can only hope to live up to the example he set for all physicians."