Mexican Army personnel destroy weapons handed over by people in Ciudad Juarez
MEXICO CITY, Nov 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Firearms for Money Exchange Program began in the border city of Ciudad Juárez with the aim of removing weapons that could be used to generate violence or commit crimes.
The program will conclude on Dec 21 and is promoted by the Municipal Government, the Trust for Competitiveness and Citizen Security (FICOSEC), the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) and the National Chamber of Commerce (CANACO).
The economic investment for the program was carried out in a tripartite manner with the participation of the municipality, private initiative and Sedena, which contributed one million pesos (50,000 dollars) for this initiative.
The commander of the Military Garrison in Juárez, Francisco Antonio Enríquez Rojas, told Efe that the plan “is the result of the coordination of the three levels of government.”
“They are weapons that can be the object of crime or a type of accident, security is a condition in which we all must contribute, not only the authorities, that is why they are invited to participate,” he said.
Rogelio Ramos, president of CANACO, assured that it is about “A preventive program that avoids the loss and cost of lives in the city.”
Added that It is important to invest in disarmament to reinforce security and “put a grain of sand and avoid crimes and the image of insecurity” that exists in the city.
The artifacts that will be received are cartridges, ammunition, chargers, machine guns, submachine guns, automatic rifles for the exclusive use of the Army, rifles and shotguns, revolver pistols and explosives such as grenades.
Once the weapons are delivered the military will destroy them in front of the people who delivered them and the whole procedure will be done without any investigation.
In case someone wants to feel safer transporting the weapon, they can call 911, request the support of the Municipal Public Security Secretariat or the National Guard, who will take it to the exchange point.
Likewise, Guillermo Asían, coordinator of the Security and Justice Table, assured that the arms-for-money exchange program aims to “raise awareness and promote the disarmament of different groups”.
“(It has) an important effect on the community that is violent. The fact that they are not (the weapons) in the street is of value. It is important that they do not get involved in arms trafficking as the consequences are strong, “he added.
Added that In Ciudad Juárez, 1,240 homicides have been registered so far this year in an area of great violence due to the combination of arms smuggling and drug trafficking. — NNN-AGENCIES
