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Mexico holds crime crisis talks Mexico to combat rising violence
(1 day later)
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has convened a security meeting to discuss strategies to tackle a wave of kidnappings and drug-related murders. Mexican leaders have agreed a series of tough measures to tackle rising kidnap and murder rates, which has sparked public outrage in recent months.
State governors and prosecutors are among those set to attend the talks scheduled for later in the day. The measures include sacking corrupt police officers, two new prisons for kidnappers and strategies to combat money laundering and drug trafficking.
More than 2,600 people have died in violence linked to drug gangs so far this year, while officials there are on average 65 abductions a month. The national security pact was signed by prosecutors and leaders from across the political and regional spectrum.
Anti-kidnap marches are planned for 30 August, a sign of growing public fury. The country has overtaken Colombia and Iraq for the number of kidnappings.
Governors from Mexico's 21 states and the federal district of Mexico City, mayors, judges, prosecutors and senior police and security officials were at the meeting hosted by President Felipe Calderon at the National Palace.
Also there was the father of Fernando Marti, the 14-year-old boy whose kidnapping and murder was a key impetus behind the meeting.
The boy's father, Alejandro Marti, a prominent businessman, called on politicians to act or resign. He said Mexico had to recover confidence in its institutions, state and country.
The decomposed body of the boy, who was kidnapped in June, was found in the boot of a car in Mexico City even though his family had reportedly paid a ransom.
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Mexico City said the boy's death genuinely shocked millions of people. He was young and came from a rich prominent family that was supposed to be able to protect itself from the gangs who have kidnapped more than 300 people this year.
The increased violence has sparked public outrage. Anti-kidnap marches are planned for 30 August, a sign of the growing public fury.
Special prisons
The 80-point national security pact pledged to root out corruption in the police forces, combat money laundering and drug-trafficking, as well as create an independent public body to monitor the governments efforts to tackle insecurity.
There are also plans to build two new maximum security prisons to house kidnappers. There are concerns that new gangs are formed in low security jails and that certain convicts should be kept separate from others.
But our correspondent says the country has been here before.
Similar increases in kidnappings in 1997 and in 2004 also prompted widespread public anger and government promises to crack down. The numbers fell for a while but rose again.
The government insists this time it will produce results to restore confidence in the rule of law.
Mr Calderon has deployed more than 30,000 soldiers across the country since 2007, in an effort to combat drug trafficking and drug-related violence.Mr Calderon has deployed more than 30,000 soldiers across the country since 2007, in an effort to combat drug trafficking and drug-related violence.
Earlier this month, the authorities also launched an anti-kidnapping squad amid anger over the abduction and killing of a prominent businessman's son.
The decomposed body of Fernando Marti, 14, who was kidnapped in June, was found in the boot of a car in Mexico City even though his family had reportedly paid a ransom.
It appears both the federal and state governments want to be seen to be doing more.
Governors from Mexico's 31 states and the federal district of Mexico City are due to attend the crisis talks called by President Calderon and discuss an initiative called the pact against insecurity.
The meeting will bring together both Mr Calderon's political allies and opponents, a sign that the scale of the violence is forcing all sides to put their difference to one side, correspondents say.
Among the measures being proposed are:
  • imposing tougher sentences on kidnappers
  • setting up a national fund to combat organised crime
  • allowing anonymous judges to preside over trials
  • tackling weapons-trafficking
But human rights groups point out major problems for any anti-crime initiative.
They believe the real rate of kidnappings is probably two or three times the official figure as many abductions are not reported because of fear of the police, some of whose members or former members have links to drug or kidnap gangs.
Federal police chief Genaro Garcia told local media that they were attacking corruption but admitted that "there are criminals who have infiltrated police forces".