Chivís Martínez for Borderland Beat
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Huetamo has a population of less than 50k, nonetheless it is a important drugwar city and a key city in the Tierra Caliente region. The city and surrounding areas have been plagued with kidnappings and murders. Highway 51 runs through the area from Zitácuaro and Huetamo sits adjacent to 51.
It is rumored that 51 is the route previously used by CT leader Kike Plancarte when traveling to Morelia, as there were no Federal Police blockades.
Huetamo was thought to possibly be, the site of the kidnapping of New Yorker Harry Devert.
In January of this year, Michoacán autodefensas attempted to liberate the municipality of Huetamo, and failed. The failure was likely because of two factors, the self-defense group had not recruited a founding group of Huetamo residents, and the corrupt municipal administration was prepared to rebuff the advance by staging a protest against AD, which essentially barred AD from entering the plaza.
Huetamo’s PRI mayor Dalia Santana Pineda and other administration officials led a protest march, and repelled AD from gaining access to the city plaza. Using slogans like "Huetamo lives in peace and quiet, reject self-defense, dozens of units of public transport, municipal authorities and citizens marched through the main streets of the county seat, to speak out against the armed movement.
Yesterday, once again AD entered the city, and this time accessed the main plaza and called on citizens for solidarity, encouraged them to set aside fear and join their struggle.
About 300 armed autodefensas, aboard 50 trucks, entered the town at 2:00PM , after placing barricades at the main entrances. On this second attempt, AD was better prepared having organized a large group of Huetamo residents prior to entering. Therefore, they entered the town under the banner of “Huetamo Autodefensas”, in addition to other AD municipalities. They announced the end of kidnappings, extortion, and murder at the hands of organized crime.
The mayor, nor county authorities have not spoken out or released a statement as of yet.
It is rumored that 51 is the route previously used by CT leader Kike Plancarte when traveling to Morelia, as there were no Federal Police blockades.
Huetamo was thought to possibly be, the site of the kidnapping of New Yorker Harry Devert.
The city and surrounding areas are cartel controlled by the “Los Viagras” organized crime group.