By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
April 22, 2015
Apatzingán, Michoacán, Mexico - New evidence, testimony from dozens of witnesses and victims of police abuse, including a video and a report released by Aristegui News, Proceso and Univision alleged that the Mexican Federal Police and military were involved in the massacre of 16 unarmed civilians during two incidents beginning on early January 6, 2015. On January 6, 2015, Mexican Federal Police opened fire on dozens of unarmed civilians who were at the Apatzingán City Hall seeking justice and protesting a federal government order to disarm a security armed protection community civil defense group.
A group of civilian leaders had received communication that more than 20 Federal Police units were heading into the city and that it was believed that a group of the Caballeros Templarios, a criminal drug cartel were planning to attack the civilian security forces. The civilians leaders decided not to arm themselves, so that federal authorities would conceive that they were criminals. That decision turned out to be one of the deadliest chain of events for several days that resulted in the murder of 16 civilians and dozens of injured people, including 11 missing. 44 civilians were arrested by the corrupt authorities.
In a news conference after the incident in Apatzingán, Alfredo Castillo, the Michoacan Security Commissioner appointed by President Enrique Peña Nieto claimed that a group of armed civilian security forces attacked Federal Police and were repelled. For the last four months, Castillo and Peña Nieto's narco-government had engaged in false information about what actually happened at Apatzingán until the latest report and video released by the three news reporting agencies exposed that it was the Federal Police and military who fired upon the unarmed civil security forces and civilians.
Witnesses say, that civilians were gunned down in cold blood and a family with teenagers was massacre by Federal Police despite pleas for help and shouting at police that they were unarmed. Another witness said, a man was brutally executed by Federal Police after he surrendered.
The lasted revelation of the mass murder at Apatzingán by Federal Police and the military has forced the Mexican National Commission who oversees the Federal Police to launch an investigation to the alleged massacre at Apatzingán. Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, the Minister of Interior Relations confirmed that an investigation has been initiated to look into the allegations of a massacre by Federal Police.
Castillo told a media outlet during an interview that he hadn't fully seen the newly released video of the massacre in Apatzingán. Apparently, Castillo is now implicated in a cover-up and knowing of the massacre or had even approved the use of deadly force.
Medical staff and a doctor in charge at the Ramon Ponce Alvarez General Hospital at Apatzingán told the investigative news agencies that Federal Police and the military wouldn't allowed wounded civilians to be treated and wounded civilians were left at scenes to bleed to death. The video released by the three news agencies show a man still alive, moving and bleeding without authorities providing any effort to render aid for hours. The doctor confirmed, that the military wouldn't allow for the wounded to he transported to other near by hospitals for treatment and some wounded civilians as a result had died.
In another massacre, Federal Police and the Military allegedly were involved with corrupt Iguala and Cocula municipal police in the murder of six people, including students and in the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa missing students.
The current allegations that the Mexican Federal Police and military have been involved in multiple massacres has created a division between corrupt and non-corrupt PRI party members who have joined bipartisan support to condemn the massacre and are pushing for justice. President Peña Nieto is from the PRI political party.
News video of the January Apatzingán massacre https://youtu.be/IHqx8WBpOOU
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