Monday 15 April 2013

Over 50 reported killed, found dead in Mexico over weekend

At least 52 were reported killed or found dead in apparent criminal incidents around Mexico over 12-14 April, media reported. Of these, at least 23 bodies were reported found in the states of Coahuila in northern Mexico, Guerrero on its western coast and Quintana Roo on the Caribbean coast through 13-14 April. These included eight bodies found in Cancún on 14 April and 10 shot in incidents in Torreón in Coahuila, CNN reported. Authorities in Cancún suspected the eight may have been killed in a house gangsters used as a body "dump" where four suspects including a 15-year-old boy were found drinking and taking drugs. They were said detained. The 23 also included the bodies of five men aged 25-35 years, found tied in the district of Atoyac de Álvarez in Guerrero, and apparently totured then executed. A message left by them, signed by one of the cartels the Caballeros Templarios, alleged they were "kidnappers and blackmailers." Atoyac is one of the districts in Guerrero where locals have turned to community policing. The review Proceso separately counted 14 presumed victims of crime for 12 April, and 14 at least appeared to have been shot or found dead on 13 April in the northern states of Durango, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas, Proceso and Milenio reported. The latter group included four dismembered, decapitated bodies found on a road in Tamaulipas on 13 April, Proceso reported, and a woman shot dead and found on 13 April in Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas. A note left beside her alleged she was an informant of the Defence Ministry, Proceso reported. Separately, a communiqué issued by Mexican authorities counted 1,101 homicides linked to federal offences in the 31 days of the month of March, which exceeded detentions, Proceso reported on 12 April. Victims included 40 state agents killed during service and 25 civilians thought killed by mistake, a communiqué signed by the interior ministry, the Prosecutor-General's office and the Defence and Navy ministries stated. Its figures were compiled by the National Centre for Planification, Analysis and Information to Combat Crime, CENAP (Centro Nacional de Planeación, Análisis e Información para el Combate a la Delincuencia), a body attached to the office of the Prosecutor-General of Mexico. The authorities stated that over 138,000 kilograms of cocaine were seized that month among other illegal substances, and 957 individuals detained.

Venezuelan president declared re-elected, opposition wants recount

Nicolás Maduro Moros was declared winner - by a narrow margin - of Venezuela's 14 April presidential elections, although his rival Henrique Capriles Radonsky said he would not recognize the results until every single vote was recounted. The head of the National Electoral Council (CNE) Tibisay Lucena declared that evening that with 99,12 per cent of votes counted, Maduro had won 7,505,338 or 50,67 per cent of all votes cast, and Capriles 7, 270,403 or 49.07 per cent of votes, Europa Press and Le Monde reported on 15 April. She said 78.71 per cent of electors had voted and insisted the CNE only declared results when "an irreversible trend" was evident. Capriles told a press conference in Caracas soon after Lucena's declarations that it was Maduro who had lost and he would not recognize results "until every vote is counted," Europa Press reported. He urged the CNE that "every ballot box be opened and every vote of the Venezuelans counted, one by one, manually, to corroborate the figures presented by the electoral authorities." He denied reports he had made any pact with Maduro, saying "I do not make pacts with lies or corruption. I do not make pacts with those I consider illegitimate." Several heads of states and foreign politicians, mostly of the Left, congratulated Maduro. An official of the CNE Vicente Díaz declared there would be re-count of all ballots for the narrow difference in candidates' votes this time, in contrast with a recount of 53 per cent of votes in previous polls, CNN reported on 14 April.