cont. from front page,

Tens of thousands of people, all dressed in white, marched from the Angel of Independence monument to the Zócalo, peacefully demanding that authorities account for and strengthen their fight against organized crime.

This year alone more than 3,000 murders have occurred in the country, despite security being a national priority for the administration of President Felipe Calderón.

Residents of other cities organized their own marches for peace and justice last Saturday, including dozens of San Miguel, some of whom are also beginning to distrust their own police force.

The Citizen Group in Defense of San Miguel de Allende (Grupo Ciudadano en Defensa de San Miguel de Allende), headed by former PRD city councilor Ariel Garibaldi Mata, collected 1,282 signatures from residents asking for the resignation of Police Chief, Daniel Trujillo.

According to the document the group handed to Mayor Jesús Correa, Trujillo has not been able to control local police officers who abuse their authority. Trujillo, who over the past year has fired numerous local officers for drug offenses or corruption, responded that he needs to have a “firm hand to prevent an increase in crime.”

Copies of the complaint were also given to Governor Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez; Manuel Vidaurri Aréchiga, head of the Human Rights Office of Guanajuato; and Atención San Miguel.

Abuse of authority? 

Garibaldi said that he and his group know of several cases of police abuse: verbal insults, unnecessary use of handcuffs, arbitrary detentions, violent dispersal of demonstrators, indiscriminate arrests, physical injury, shootings, robberies and humiliating treatment of suspects.

“We advised Trujillo of the situation on November 6, 2007, and he promised he would resolve it; however, these actions continue,” said Garibaldi. “Police detain young men just because they are in the streets at night or whole groups just because they gather to chat in the evening outside their houses. They are savagely beaten and their belongings stolen.”

Garibaldi, a teacher, has heard his students discuss such abuse. “A group of students told me that one afternoon after school a group of police approached them menacingly. They were arrested, taken to the local jail, their belongings confiscated and forced to remove their clothes—men and women together,” said Garibaldi. He also mentioned the case of a young man who was unjustly arrested and beaten unconscious by police. He filed a complaint with the district attorney’s office but has not yet received a response.

Garibaldi accepts that crime must be controlled, but “intimidating young people is not the way,” he said. “Trujillo is trying to instill fear. I have heard of people—even those 30 or 40 years old—who are sitting on the sidewalk outside their house and the police come and order them inside. A policeman on his own cannot decide to arrest every suspicious person; those orders come from above.” 

Garibaldi doesn’t have the answers about how to prevent crime. “A neighborhood policeman would be a good solution, because he would know which groups only meet to chat and which meet to drink or vandalize,” he suggests.

The police chief speaks

Police Chief Trujillo stated that he would not tolerate any unlawful behavior such as vandalism, street fights or drinking alcohol in the street, all of which often lead to more serious criminal acts.

About the petition for his removal, Trujillo said that “all citizens have the right to demonstrate and express their opinions; this can show us things that are wrong so that we can modify them. I will continue acting with a firm hand. We do not want crime to continue increasing. We need to inculcate values in our youth. Criminality can gestate in the family if parents do not give the right values to their children.” 

He insists that residents report any suspicious activity as well as any abuse on the part of the authorities. “We have very few reports of abuse of authority. However, we sanction and arrest officers when we detect abuse.”

Trujillo admitted that he does have a bodyguard and even wears a bulletproof vest because “there have been a lot of executions of officials in positions similar to mine and we are on maximum alert all over the state.

I need to be secure in order to bring security to the population.”

In May this year, criminals with drug-trafficking connections attempted to bribe the police chief; the criminals were captured in one of the largest police and special forces operations in San Miguel (Atención, May 16).

Abuse of authority or lack of respect for it?

The population’s discontent with the police and authorities stems in large part from a lack of trust, which in turn erodes respect.

Laura, a resident of Colonia San Antonio, said she thinks there may be cases of abuse by police but in her neighborhood gangs habitually gather to drink beer in the street and throw rocks and bottles at police cars. 

Alejandra, a local hotel manager, helped in a situation when relatives of a guest were arrested. Although they claimed police abuse, Alejandra learned from an eyewitness that those arrested were drunk and had taunted the police and kicked the mounted officers’ horses. 

On August 29, Atención’s reporter observed a heated discussion outside the bar La Coronela. A man surrounded by police and transit agents was arguing, insulting and threatening the officers. He claimed police abuse. This outcry was his response to receiving a traffic fine for parking illegally.

José, a policeman, admitted that at times some officers do abuse their authority but that Trujillo sanctions and sometimes dismisses them. “However, we do not arrest a person just for wandering around; we do it only if someone makes a report. When we see a group of people drinking in the street, we advise them to go inside. Must of the time they mock us; they throw rocks and then run and hide in their houses.” 

He said that Trujillo has done several things to help his staff that former directors never did. “During the last administration, we did not get a salary increase, but he gave us one,” he said.

Death by undue force

On June 27, 2008, 24-year-old Adrián Valdés was drinking beer with neighbors outside his home in Colonia Ignacio Ramírez when police arrived and seized him. He fell and hit his head. According to witnesses, one officer stepped on him and then, along with other officers, dragged him to his feet and handcuffed and arrested him.

 He was released just after midnight on June 28, after his family paid a 500-peso fine. According to the police, he was drunk at the time of his arrest. Valdés was taken to General Hospital in a serious condition. He was transferred to León, where he died, apparently from cerebral trauma. His wife said her husband was not drunk when he was seized by police. (The complete story appeared in El Correo on August 25, 2008.) Police claim that Valdés hit his head when he jumped from the vehicle en route to the jail. 

Trujillo’s response

Regarding the case Trujillo said that the district attorney’s office has made progress. “Mayor Correa and I are not covering up anything nor shielding anyone. The findings of the district attorney’s office will determine the actions to be taken. On other occasions we have arrested officers for abuse or negligence. I would like to extend my condolences to the family because is hard to lose a loved one. However, criminals will always be exposed.” 

Saturday, August 30, 2008, the Citizen Group in Defense of San Miguel de Allende organized a demonstration for peace, to coincide with the one in Mexico City and in other cities in the country. At 7pm, about 50 people dressed in white, headed by Ariel Garibaldi, met in Cardo street to start the march. Many of them bore signs that read “no more abuse toward young men,” “Trujillo out, corrupt policemen” or “We ask the authorities to take action against the officer, murderer of Adrián Valdés.” 

The victims’s sister participated in the demonstration and claims her brother was murdered two months ago. “[The police] say my brother jumped from the police car, but that is not true. He was arrested because there was a disturbance in the neighborhood, but he was only coming back from work. There was a street fight and he was the only one who was arrested. But we do not know if he took part on the fight.”

Gladys, Laura and Anita, three San Miguel residents who were in the demonstration, said, “We are against violence, crime and kidnappings. That is why we are here. We do not have anything against the local police; they are good, even excellent. As this is a small town, we know who the policemen are and we even say hello to them on the street.”

Medians and the means: parks and public gardens
By Jesús Ibarra 

Green areas are the lungs of a city and help beautify it. San Miguel de Allende has several parks and gardens, not all of them in the city’s center.

The Ecology Department has maintained and restored the parks in Centro, and the median strips on Boulevard de la Conspiración (Salida a Querétaro) are being replanted. However, some neighborhood parks outside of downtown are unkempt and virtually abandoned. José Alfredo Zamora, coordinator of the Ecology Department, said that the main problem with the public parks is residents’ lack of care for them. “Our city is also our home, so we must take care of public parks as if they were our own private gardens,” he said. 

Greening the city’s gateways 

For more than two months, staff of the Ecology Department have been replanting the medians on Salida a Querétaro and Salida a Celaya. According to Zamora, the main objectives are water conservation and ease of upkeep. He explained that his staff are currently working on the median in front of La Luciérnaga.

“The project, proposed by the Urban Development Department, consists of planting succulents, grasses and blue agave, all chosen because they require only basic maintenance and a small amount of water,” said Zamora, who added that the plantings will extend from Boulevard de la Conspiración to Salida a Dolores.

The first stretch of median on Boulevard de la Conspiración, planted previously, contains cypress and weeping bottlebrush.

“We began with this other kind of vegetation because we initially were planning to plant all the main accesses to the city with the same species, but then Urban Development proposed this project using low-water plants,” noted Zamora. “Although those plants require more water than agaves, we mulched and spread decorative gravel on the soil, which helps control weeds and limits water use.” He added that there will be a transition area between the cypresses and the agaves. Zamora said that all the trees removed from the median are being replanted at the sports center COMUDAJ (Comisión Municipal del Deporte y Ayuda a la Juventud) on Salida a Celaya.

He said that the rest of the project is in the hands of Urban Development, but that the median on Calzada de la Estación will also be replanted. “That is currently a street with mainly local traffic, but when the road through La Cieneguita to Guanajuato is finished, traffic will increase.”

According to Zamora, the tezontle (red stone) originally in the median on Salida a Celaya was replaced with mulch and gravel to save water and reduce maintenance. “It used to cost 12,300 pesos a month to maintain the medians, but now labor costs are 2,500 pesos a month.” Maintaining the cypresses in the first section of the Salida a Querétaro median is estimated to cost 250 pesos a month.

Zamora said that the irrigation water comes from the SAPASMA’s treatment plant.

 “We use around 100,000 liters a day to irrigate about 6,000 square meters, including parks and gardens in the urban area and the rural community of Los Rodríguez. We water from 3pm to 10am for less evaporation.” 

The Ecology Department has been criticized because of the delay in finishing the medians. “It has been very difficult to finish them. The local government does not have the money to finish a project like this by itself,” said Zamora. Around 1,200,000 pesos have been spent, funds obtained from developers as part of the agreement for building permits granted by the local government. “The original agreement was made with the Spanish company FADESA, but after the first installment was paid the company went bankrupt and disappeared from San Miguel. We did not know this would happen.” Zamora said that other sources have also provided funds to finish the work. Payment for the median on Salida a Celaya came from Ramo 33, federal funds destined for states and municipalities. 

Parks and gardens

Zamora said that the parks and gardens in Centro are almost completely refurbished. “We work jointly with Oficialía Mayor, Servicios Públicos, SAPASMA and Urban Development.

Everything would be finished except the plants in the beds near Las Monjas, next to the Puente de Quebrada, were stolen two days after we planted them. It is really a shame,” he said. “Before, we used to ask people to be conscientious and respectful; now, we are appealing to residents’ love for their city.” 

Zamora said that about 12,300 plants have been placed in Centro’s public parks, such as the Jardín, the park on San Francisco and Plaza Cívica, and in green areas in Guadiana and San Antonio, among others, at a cost of about 150,000 pesos. These funds came from private individuals.

According to Zamora, the local government does not have the money to establish new gardens or parks in colonias outside Centro, but the Ecology Department works together with neighborhood residents interested in maintaining established green areas.

“Last year we added 11 more sites to our irrigation program,” he said. “Some of the most cooperative neighborhoods are Bella Vista, Santa Cecilia, Jardines II and Colonia Olimpo. In Jardines II, for example, I had a meeting at 7pm with some residents who told me they wanted some trees right away. At that time we were removing some trees in Guadiana, and we brought them immediately to Jardines II. We began planting at 8pm and we finished at 11pm.When people ask, we help them.”

Doña Gloria, a resident of Colonia Olimpo, said that she has taken care of the green area in front of her home on Peleneo street since she moved in 20 years ago “When I arrived here there was nothing but the hill. I planted the first trees. The government told us that they were green areas and that is why we began planting and irrigating them.

 Some of them were donated by the Ecology Department, but most we have bought. They only bring water for irrigation sporadically, and sometimes we have to irrigate with water from our houses. We also pick up the garbage and cut the grass. The authorities have not really confirmed that the area belongs to the government, and so could be officially designated a green area. We are afraid that one day they could take it away from us,” said Doña Gloria.

Fiestas Patrias schedule

September in Mexico is the month of the Patria. Celebrations continue before and after the national day of independence on September 16. San Miguel always celebrates en grande!

September 6



5:15pm, Welcome to national & local Lions Club presidents 
Mayor Jesús Correa
Former presidencia, Plaza Principal

6pm, Salute to the flag & official fiestas patrias program
Queen’s Dragons band 
Jardín



September 7

6am, Mañanitas & Alborada (Dawning) 
honors the Virgen de Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto)
Oratorio, Insurgentes & Pepe Llanos

1pm, Sunday Serenade 
Jardín 

4pm, Women’s athletic competition
departs from Casa de Allende 

5:30pm, Athletic competition 
departs from Parroquia

7pm, Sunday Serenade (repeat) 

7pm, Coronation of the Queen of Campesinos
Teatro Ángela Peralta, Mesones & Hernández Macías



September 8

Celebration of Our Lady of Loreto (entire day)

Ermita Chapel on Salida a Querétaro & Oratorio church on Insurgentes

10am, Commemoration of the Molino del Rey battle, 
Jardín



September 9

Art exhibits (open all day)

28th young artists’ show & Luz y Solidaridad (Light & Solidarity) by Susan Plum 
through September 28 
Bellas Artes, Hernández Macías 75



September 10

6pm, Lecture for children
Ignacio Allende 
Biblioteca Municipal, Pepe Llanos

8pm, Theater
Life of Allende, by Aficionados del Teatro 
Teatro Ángela Peralta, Mesones & Hernández Macías

8:15pm, Ceremony & concert
commemoration of the 25th anniversary of San Miguel’s fire department 
Jardín



September 12

5pm, Lecture for children
Being Child Heroes
Biblioteca Municipal, Pepe Llanos

7pm, Art exhibit 
Simone Pontecorbo 
Bellas Artes, Hernández Macías 75

8pm, Movie 
The Atomic Firefighter, with Cantinflas
Jardín

8pm, Theater
Life of Allende, by Aficionados del Teatro 
Teatro Ángela Peralta, Mesones & Hernández Macías



September 13

10am, Commemoration of the defense of Chapultepec Castle by the Niños Héroes 
Jardín

5pm, Traditional athletic competitions
commemorating the conspirators & beginning of Mexican independence
departs from Museo Casa de Allende

6pm, Salute to the flag
Jardín

8pm, Coronation of the Queen of the Fiestas Patrias
with tropical music group Sonora Santanera
Jardín

8pm, Theater 
Life of Allende, by Aficionados del Teatro 
Teatro Ángela Peralta, Mesones & Hernández Macías


September 14

11am, Firefighters parade
Main downtown streets

1pm, Mass
Fire department’s anniversary
La Parroquia

5pm, Cavalcade
Conspirators’ cavalcade arrives from Querétaro
Jardín


September 15

All events held in the Jardín.

6am, Salute to the flag

10am, Fraternal message from different municipalities 
Museo Casa de Allende

3:15pm, Athletic competition & symbolic torch
Symbolic torch arrives from Querétaro for the Grito ceremony

5pm, Fraternal message from Querétaro representatives 

6pm, Salute to the flag

8pm, Traditional dances
Ballet Mazatl, Casa de la Cultura

10:45pm, Salute to the flag
Mayor Correa moves the flag from the former Presidencia
to Museo Casa de Allende

10:55pm, Liberty torch
arrival of the torch & athletes along San Francisco, Plaza Principal Oriente, Portal Allende & Cuna de Allende

11pm, El Grito ceremony
Mayor Jesús Correa
Museo Casa de Allende

11:10pm, Fireworks
Midnight, Party 


September 16

6am, Salute to the flag
Jardín

9am, Commemoration of the 198th anniversary of independence
Museo Casa de Allende

11am, Military parade
Ancha de San Antonio, to Canal, Hernández Macías, Mesones & Jardín 

6pm, Salute to the flag
Jardín

6:15pm, Parade
Entrance of the Insurgentes
Av. Independencia, Insurgentes, Hernández Macías, Canal, Jardín

8pm, Cavalcade
Ceremony of the national symbols 
Jardín

8:15pm, Dance 
Ballet Folklórico de San Miguel
Jardín

9:15pm, Fireworks
Jardín


September 17

10am, Commemoration of the first independent city council
Jardín

5pm, Lecture
Un grito por la libertad (A cry for freedom)

6pm, Lecture for children
Miguel Hidalgo by Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez
Biblioteca Municipal, Pepe Llanos


September 18

6pm, Lecture
Benito Díaz de Gamarra & Colegio San Francisco de Sales & the influence of Cartesian philosophy on the ideology of criollos at the beginning of the 19th century
Museo Casa de Allende, cnr Cuna de Allende & Umurán

8pm, Official annual report of activities by Mayor Jesús Correa
State governor Juan Manuel Oliva in attendance
Jardín


September 19

9am, Salute to the flag
Jardín

6pm, San Miguel fair parade
Ancha de San Antonio, to Canal, Hernández Macías, Insurgentes to San Francisco & Jardín

8pm, San Miguel fair opens
circus, games, ice rink, rodeo, palenque (cockfights), live music fairgrounds, Salida a Querétaro behind the presidencia

25th anniversary celebration for San Miguel firefighters

The Fire Department celebrates their 25th anniversary with several days of activities. Yet the day of the founding of the department, September 11, will have a solemn ceremony to honor the victims of 9/11.

September 7
11am Photo exhibit
Museo del Ayuntamiento
Consejo de Turismo
Plaza Principal
Noon Firefighting equipment exhibit
Jardín

3pm Awards ceremony
Best painting on the subject of firefighters
Jardín 


September 11
8:15pm Ceremony and concert
Celebrating the 25 anniversary of the volunteer fire brigade;
tribute to the firefighters who died on 9/11
Jardín

September 12
7pm Dance performance, 7pm
Group from Casa de la Cultura 
led by Gloria Navarrete
Jardín

8pm Movie
El Bombero Atómico
starring Cantinflas
Jardín


September 14
11am Firefighters’ parade
Main Centro streets 

For more information or receipts for donations call Fire Chief José Sanchéz at 152-7863. Donations are most appreciated at Banorte account 814005178, Patronato de Bomberos.