Police in San Marcos, Guerrero, are off the job to demand better equipment and reject a life insurance policy provided by the local government.

In a video posted to social media, officer Luis Alberto Bibiano Nava accused the local government of not providing uniforms, boots and equipment, triggering the strike that began December 27.

“First we want to ask forgiveness for calling the strike on December 27. The motive for the strike is that the mayor, Tomás Hernández Palma, said that he has been coming through on public security and that isn’t true,” he said.

Mayor Hernández denied the allegations and said he had given the officers the supplies and equipment they need to perform their duties.

“Someone is lying, and I assure you that it’s not us. The current administration here in San Marcos . . . has complied with the law, and we’re going to show this with videos, photographs and documents,” he said.

“The officers’ complaint is about the payment of 12,000 pesos (US $635) on behalf of each of the 100 San Marcos municipal police to Argos Insurance, which provides them with life insurance of 500,000 pesos (US $26,460), but in the past other governments didn’t pay the insurance and gave that money directly to the police. Now they want the same and that’s why they’ve gone on strike.”

National Guard troops and state police officers have been deployed to San Marcos to keep the peace during the strike.

A representative of the public prosecutor’s office, María del Rosario Manzanares, reproached the policemen for not returning to work, despite having received all of their equipment.

She added that the uniforms they were given are in good condition.

San Marcos is located 59 kilometers southeast of Acapulco, in the state’s Costa Chica region.

Source: Milenio (sp)