National March for Peace Draws 150,000 Participants

05/13/11 – Sunday May 8 marked the last day of the National March for Peace with Justice and Dignity, a four-day event that began in Cuernavaca, Morelos and ended in Mexico City. Mexican poet Javier Sicilia organized the march, which drew an estimated 150,000 participants in Mexico, as well as support abroad in Latin America, the U.S. and Europe, reports El Universal. Sicilia has quickly become one of the leading protestors against President Felipe Calderón’s anti-drug campaign following the murder of his son and six others in March.

The rally was staged to demand a change in the government’s military-led strategy against drug trafficking organizations. To conclude the march on Sunday, Sicilia gave a speech in the center of the main plaza in Mexico City. In addition to decreasing the high levels of violence, he also called on the government to demand “the resignation of Genaro García Luna, the director of public security and an architect of Mr. Calderón’s battle against the drug gangs,” states the New York Times. In response, the Calderón administration voiced its continued support of García Luna and recognized his national efforts to reform federal police forces. Sicilia also led a five-minute moment of silence Sunday in honor of the 35,000 victims of drug violence who have died since President Calderón took office.

The National March for Peace with Justice and Dignity has opened the door to a possible dialogue between the Calderón administration and the Mexican people. The president agreed Monday to meet with the organizers of the protest to discuss and explain his strategy. “Calderón said talks could help bridge the gap between his administration and leaders of Sunday’s March for Peace,” reports the Los Angeles Times. The president continued by saying, “We can agree or disagree. Of course that doesn’t exclude the possibility and the responsibility to dialogue, to listen to each other and understand each other.”

Sources:

Miranda, Justino. “Inicia Marcha por la Paz, en México y el extranjero.” El Universal. May 5, 2011.

Malkin, Elisabeth. “Tens of Thousands March in Mexico City.” New York Times. May 8, 2011. 

Ellingwood, Ken. “Mexico’s President Offers to Meet with Anti-Violence Movement.” Los Angeles Times. May 10, 2011. 

“Mexican Government Says it Backs Public Safety Secretary.” El Vocero Hispano. May 11, 2011.