Behave and ‘Think of your mothers,’ AMLO urges Tamaulipas crime gangs

President López Obrador appealed to the consciences of gangsters in Tamaulipas during a visit to the state over the weekend and urged them to behave.

Speaking to citizens during a stop at the Tula rural hospital in southwestern Tamaulipas on Saturday, the president spoke about the continued problem of crime and violence in the state and asked criminals to consider the harm caused by their actions.

“They are in the wrong, it shouldn’t be like this, I call on them to find other things to do, to think about themselves, their families, their mothers,” he said. “They know how much their mothers suffer because of the sublime love they have for their children, and they need to think about that.”

The president also promised to improve job opportunities as part of his strategy to fight crime.

“There used to be the excuse that there were no jobs,” he said. “We’re working on bringing back jobs, and getting people back into the workforce, so they can go legitimate, and stop the suffering of their families and their mothers, who are the ones who worry most about the children.”

Specifically, López Obrador spoke about the challenge presented by the Northeast Cartel, a splinter group of the Zetas that is active in Nuevo Laredo, although he didn’t mention the group by name. In recent days, the Northeast Cartel has been threatening gas station owners in Nuevo Laredo to prevent them from selling fuel to security forces.

On Sunday, during a visit to the Soto in the eastern part of the state, López Obrador acknowledged that problems with violence persist in the state, although he noted that the situation has improved.

“In the case of Tamaulipas, there is a lot of potential, we’re advancing in a very important area, which is guaranteeing security and peace,” he said. “I’m not saying there are no problems, of course there are, but it was worse, it was very difficult, as you all know.”

The president said crime rates have declined in the state although not in the border city. “Now we only have problems in Nuevo Laredo.”

“To hell with crime,” he declared, likening it to corruption. “It’s gross! Disgusting!”

Source: El Universal (sp)