The week before last Archbishop Hector González Martinez of Durango, Mexico, announced at his news conference what most Mexicans suspect. "Everyone knows where the country’s most wanted drug lord lives, except the authorities. They have failed to make an arrest."
Most local newspapers and television stations declined to report the comments, and for some reason national Mexican papers that contained the remarks did not appear on many newsstands.
According to the Los Angeles World newspaper Archbishop Gonzalez undoubtedly embarrassed regional authorities in Durango, some of whom have long been rumoured to be lending support and protection to the fugitive drug lord, Joaquin Guzman, alias El Chapo, or Shorty.
While President Felipe Calderón’s supporters denounced Archbishop Martinez provocative challenge as reckless talk, many others praised his very blunt suggestion that the federal government was either to corrupt or was unable to capture Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the leader of the powerful Sinola drug cartel.
Recently Forbes magazine named Guzman as one of the richest men in Mexico, being worth near €1 billion.
In 2001, as the authorities were getting him ready to be extradited to the US, he escaped from prison – in a laundry van.
However, things did turn nasty after the Archbishop’s comments.
On Tuesday of last week, two military officers were found dead near a bullet-riddled car in the tough country of the Sierra Madre just north of Durango. This is a region known as the Golden Triangle and a hub for drug trafficking as well as the cultivation of marijuana and opium poppies.
It is believed that the officers, who were dressed in civilian clothes were working undercover in the area when they were abducted and executed.
They were found with their hands tied with and their eyes covered with tape. They had been shot a number of times by AK-47 rounds.
A message was left near them: “You'll never get El Chapo -- not the priests, not the government."
In a recent poll published on the front page of the newspaper Reforma last Wednesday, 69 per cent surveyed said the archbishop's claims should be investigated.
However. an equal percentage thought that his life is in danger.
The Archbishop’s associates expressed concern for his safety and church officials said they were taking steps to protect the senior cleric.
He dropped out of sight missing a "peace and justice" march that he had convoked. Then on Monday (20th) he issued a written statement in which he apologized if he had "scandalized" anyone with his assertions.
Fr Manuel Corral, a spokesman for the Mexican Bishops Conference, said last week that priests in eight Mexican states have been threatened with harm or death, presumably by drug traffickers.
Although the threats are anonymous, he said, most come via missives and third-party go-betweens when priests have attempted to turn members of their parishes away from the traffickers and use of drugs.
"It's always when the priests denounce violence, injustice and crime, or when we try to get our people to leave the narco-menudeo," or drug street sales, Fr Corral said in an interview.
A small number of priests have had to be transferred from their churches because of threats, but most traffickers remain discreet.
"However, the potential danger hurts the church's work, he said. "The fear is there.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Source (CIN)
SV (Ed)