Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Listen
Donate
Podcasts Take Two
Details of Mexico's deal with armed groups in Michoacán still unclear
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Take Two Logo
Apr 17, 2014
Listen • 5:07
Details of Mexico's deal with armed groups in Michoacán still unclear
The Mexican government has given armed self defense groups until May to disarm in exchange these groups known as autodefensas could be incorporated in a new state police force.
Mexican soldiers patrol the streets of Apatzingan, in Michoacan State, Mexico, on January 16, 2014. On the eve, federal police and army troops said they had 17 cities and towns in western Mexico under control after clashing with vigilantes and seizing Apatzingan (population 120,000) --a bastion of the Knights Templars cartel-- Uruapan (315,000) and Mugica (45,000) among others. The turmoil in Michoacan has become the biggest security challenge for President Enrique Pena Nieto's 13-month-old administration, undermining his pledge to reduce drug violence.
Mexican soldiers patrol the streets of Apatzingan, in Michoacan State, Mexico, on January 16, 2014.
(
ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images
)

The Mexican government has given armed self defense groups until May to disarm in exchange these groups known as autodefensas could be incorporated in a new state police force.

The Mexican government has given armed self defense groups until May to disarm in exchange these groups known as autodefensas could be incorporated in a new state police force.

RELATED: Rise of armed groups in Mexico prompts hope, fear among LA's michoacanos

The autodefensas have been around for more than a year. Recently, they pushed out the dominant drug cartel, the Knights Templar, in the southwest state of Michoacán. They've been setting up checkpoints, patrolling towns and drawing local support.

It's exposed the federal government's failure to stem the violence, but it's also put the government in a bind: how to deal with the popular groups that are outside the rule of law?

For the latest on what this deal means, we're joined by Verónica Calderón, reporter with El Pais in Mexico City.