Guadalajara -
Weapons seizures by Mexican security forces during the just ended administration of Felipe Calderón were nearly 12 times those of his predecessor, Vicente Fox, according to statistics released last week by the country's Secretary of Defense. Both men were National Action Party (PAN) presidents.
The data was requested by Mexican press sources under governmental transparency laws.
Calderón's six year term began Dec. 1, 2006 and ended Dec. 1, 2012. Fox served from 2000 to 2006. He enraged fellow PANistas during last spring's presidential contest by openly endorsing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate Enrique Peña Nieto, who captured the race with an easy majority on July 1. In December Fox failed to renew his PAN membership (Former president Vicente Fox quits National Action Party). But for months before that party leaders had threatened him with expulsion.
The Secretary reported that 124,388 weapons were seized during Calderón's watch. When Fox held office the number paled in comparison - a mere 10,737.
During 12 years of PAN rule, aggregate weapons seizures were 135,125, including 80,769 long arms and 54,356 handguns. The private possession of firearms is strictly forbidden in Mexico, and often carries draconian penalties for violators. Most guns seized in Mexico's 73 month old drug war have been of the assault variety, including thousands of AK-47s and AR-15s, both of which are carried by combat troops in many nations. The Mexican government claims that about 80% of such weapons recovered by police and military forces in this country were sold or originated in the United States.
Mexican troops and police had their best year in 2011, seizing 32,499 firearms, a daily average of 89.
President Peña Nieto, who campaigned on a promise to drastically reduce violence in the first 100 days of his administration, has not specifically addressed firearms issues. But most analysts agree that despite campaign rhetoric to the contrary, he plans to stick closely to Calderón's National Action Strategy, with a focus on aggressively pursing drug traffickers and organized crime operatives using federal troops and paramilitary units (Peña Nieto: no option but to follow Calderón strategy). With 51 days of that self-imposed deadline already gone, he'll need to do something quickly (Mexican narco violence stats after first month of new PRI administration not encouraging: 982 executions, 32 a day).
Sept. 24 - "Don't throw us back," Calderón urges Peña Nieto
Jan. 18 - "Fast and Furious" arms found at scene of shootout which killed Miss Sinaloa
Jan. 16 - Two Canadian "gunmen" arrested in Playa del Carmen
Dec. 22 - With a little help from his friends, Jon Hammar released
Dec. 17 - The Second Amendment and the NRA tour Mexico
Dec. 16 - El País asks, "¿Quién desarma a EE UU?" - Who will disarm the United States?
Nov. 29 - Mexican beauty queen dies with AK-47 at her side
Feb. 16 - "Dear friends in the United States - please, no more assault weapons to Mexico"
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