translated from Spanish: a year of the huachicol tragedy

Hidalgo.- A year after the tragedy of Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo, and the government decided to confront the theft of fuel and recognize it as an organized crime problem, the huachicol is still a challenge for the Mexican state, said journalist Ana Lilia Pérez.
At the Analysis Table for Aristegui Live, he commented that the deaths of 137 people after the explosion were the result of criminal omission and government and business complicity in fuel theft.
The journalist stated that while more progress was made in reducing stolen volumes, it has been recognized that huachicol in some regions of the country has not stopped.
For example, he noted, “in Guanajuato we have had scenes of how families, involved in the theft of fuel, are willing to become human shields when the authorities arrive to stop some Huachicolero leader.”
In that regard, he considered the memorial for Tlahuelilpan to be good, but it should not be forgotten that the practice that generates these tragedies still prevailed in certain regions of the country. “Criminal groups are still being copied and in some places they are forced to participate.”
In his opinion, the fight against the huachicol requires a commitment by government, companies and society, since previously the theft of fuel from the bowels of Petróleos Mexicanos was allowed, while some entrepreneurs and consumers bought it.
For his part, the writer Fabrizio Mejía commented that this tragedy was pointed out by the president as the first crisis of his government, related to the fight against the huachicol but also to extreme poverty.
He added that former President Felipe Calderon had great responsibility on this issue, as it was during his rule that local governments were made aware of where the pipelines carrying the fuel passed through.
Original source: Aristegui News

Original source in Spanish