Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Guadalajara 3.0 article
[ Subject Matter: Vallarta, CJNG
Recommendation: Some knowledge of recent events in Jalisco would be useful]
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Reporter: Roberto Almaguer Vega
[ Subject Matter: Vallarta, CJNG
Recommendation: Some knowledge of recent events in Jalisco would be useful]
Reporter: Roberto Almaguer Vega
Networks
In the most serious attack that Puerto Vallarta has had to date, social networking demonstrated its enormous value as a mechanism of communication and its usefulness in cases of insecurity. The vast majority of citizens learned through this tool that something big was happening in the city, neither television nor radio had full-time live information.
On TV (just in case) there was something in the national news referring to Jalisco as a whole, and the radio coverage was very absent. It is highlighting the vocation and work that several professional communicators from Vallarta played, which, in many cases, thanks to your timely alerts, allowed people to stay well informed.
The rumor mill
There was no shortage of course of unfounded rumors, which only serve to increase the collective psychosis; fighting, bullets, persecutions which in the case of Puerto Vallarta, fortunately, were false. Among the most chilling is "they're getting into the houses in Aramara" or a recording in which the voice of a young man "was announcing" that the negotiations between traffickers and the Government were not going well, now yes, there would be a slaughter in form of repayment.
Social networks also proliferated, with false images which were intended to pass as current. Television Azteca transmitted in its newscast night of national coverage, images of the attack on 7 April, of the convoy of the single force in San Sebastian, showing images of the incinerated pickups and the corpses, while they talked about the helicopter attacked this Mayday in Casimiro Castillo.
Collateral damage
Of course that draws attention and says much that none of the attacks are directed physically at the population; the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion's messages that emphasized: "We apologize to the public and want you to understand that we are not against you, but against the Government" because, they say, that authorities have been paid to do it by one of the rival cartels...
However, there is no need to go with the feint; the climate of psychosis and fear and anguish has already caused damage to the population, as there will be a reduction in tourism and the economic downturn as a result of the attacks (the US State Department already issued a Warning to prevent its citizens from visiting Puerto Vallarta).
In addition, they have set fire to businesses, vehicles and gas stations, this is not child's play; it is a flagrant Act of destruction at anytime cross-fire could have caused an explosion that could have resulted in significant casualties among the civilian population. (What would have happened if the fire caused at the HSBC had extended to hotel Suites del Sol built on the Bank branch?)
More Papists than the Pope
Commendable, was undoubtedly the immediate reaction of major sectors of the community to come together around a message: Vallarta is standing and is bigger than their problems; especially notable was the case of departmental LANS shop the same day as they suffered a clumsy arsonist attack, the owners announced to their customers that its doors were open and still standing for his great night sale.
Welcomed also were the messages whose purpose was to reassure family and friends who live outside the municipality; "Vallarta is quiet and working, the emergency is over, we go forward," but also noteworthy was the harshness of those bothered with the media by the alarming information circular; enraged "because it was damaging the image of Vallarta" they sought to silence the Messenger, with an anger that one could say that journalists were those who placed incendiary bombs. The best (and only) way to avoid that a city has reputation for danger is, simply, that it is safe. Not to cover the Sun with a finger.
A planned and coordinated attack
Again Joaquín López Dóriga lied in seeking to make us believe that the attacks occurred as a sudden and immediate response from traffickers against the operation of the Government to capture their bonnets.
What happened in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and in other municipalities in the State and even in nearby States was a complex, carefully orchestrated operation, which included planning, strategies, human resources and materials and yes, sadly there are many indications that allow us to deduce that he also drew complicity from the Government's own security apparatus.
What's next?
It is time to take careful stock of the damage and face the new reality that we unveiled the first of may of 2015 as a society. We reached the destination; the name of Vallarta and Jalisco are already next to Guerrero, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, etc. No longer is it a case of asking how it got here, but how to get rid of it.
Of course the Puerto Vallarta municipal President lacked the experience to lead during the ravages of the crisis. In a situation like this it is clear the brutal negligence of the elected municipal President to have left in place the one who stopped.
Original article in Spanish at Guadalajara 3.0