The Narco News Bulletin

LeBaron in Durango: "The Solution is With Us"

Former Municipal Police Officer Oscar Hernández of the State of Mexico Calls Upon "Good Police to Abandon Your Uniforms and Join the Movement"

By Julián LeBaron with Antonio Cervantes
Caravan of Solace

June 14, 2011
This report appears on the internet at http://www.narconews.com/Issue67/article4452.html

During the public event of the Caravan of Solace in the city of Durango on June 6, Julian LeBaron appealed to the citizenry to participate before it is too late. This time, to make his point, he invited a father and former municipal police officer to the stage, a man who left his job after his two children were murdered and who put their photographs into the plastic casing where his police badge used to be. His name is Oscar Hernández and he has joined the Caravan to Ciudad Juárez.

Julian LeBaron, in Durango. DR 2011 Tyler Stringfellow.

We have been on a long journey and in all the towns where we go, we see photographs of people who were killed or disappeared and we have heard of mass narco-graves. And I think we are all asking the same questions: Where is the government? Where is the authority? Where is justice? Where is God?

I believe it is time that we start asking different questions, before these banners of our sons and daughters, brothers and parents, are of us. Where are we? We are 112 million Mexican citizens. Where are we? That is what we need to ask ourselves.

There is with us a father of a family from the state of Mexico, and I think it is time to ask ourselves if we are ready to be noble.

I would like to ask some questions to Oscar Hernández who is with us.

JL: Oscar, what did you used to do before you came on the caravan?

Oscar Hernández: Municipal police officer.

JL: You were in the municipal police. And you still have your badge casing. Can you show it to us? Who is in the casing?

OH: It's a photograph of my children. I threw my badge away. And the stars, the insignia of the police, I also threw them away. I only kept the Mexican flag because I love my country very much, and my uniform without badges. And here are my children.

(Public applauds.)

JL: Here we have a man who understands that the police are not the solution. I hope we can understand that the solution is within us and that we begin to participate like this great man has done.

OH: Many thanks, and I hope that all Mexican police, because there are many good police officers, will now leave the police forces because you are being asked to become killing machines. Get out and unite with the movement. Turn your backs on Calderón.

Transcribed by Marta Molina. Translated by Al Giordano.