Lawmaker demands united effort against crime

Assembly Speaker Rocío López, an Ensenada member of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution Party is calling upon local, state and national public officials to put aside partisan interests and focus on solving a national crisis involving Mexico’s teens and young adults.

López was commenting on a recent National Institute of Statistics and Geography report that between 2010 and 2017, close to 72,000 persons between the ages of 12 and 29 died due to organized crime.

The report underlined that between 2007 and 2010 around 13,000 teenagers were murdered, an average of one per hour.

According to the lawmaker, in recent years, criminal assaults have been the leading cause of death among young men and the second leading cause of death among young women. She added 2018 has been the most violent year in the last two decades.

“I firmly call the Mexican government, as well as the states and municipalities to once and for all, leaving aside political interests, to coordinate efficiently to address crime,” she said.

López called Congress to enact laws that set gun possession and drug sales as aggravated crimes in order to keep suspects in jail.

According to the Network for Children Rights, eight out of every 10 murders of children in Mexico last year were committed with firearms.

The lawmaker said it is imperative to address illegal gun trafficking and possession, especially in Baja California.