Breathe
By Sophia Huett
While in 2017 and 2018 between 34,000 and 37,000 vehicles were secured that were stolen or related to the commission of a crime, in 2022 the National Guard secured 4,602, a figure that decreased further in 2023 to 4,280 vehicles secured.
The change in the security model of the last administration represented a decrease of more than 85% of insured vehicles. Nothing more.
As for theft on federal highways, 311 were recorded in 2018, a figure that began to increase in 2019 with 966 cases and peaked in 2021 with 1,229 probable thefts, of which 68% were concentrated in cargo trucks.
In 2023, what could be called a miracle or an extraordinary success story of the National Guard's specialized highway patrol area occurred: only 160 robberies. Is this a realistic figure? And if so, why not brag about it? Because, in numbers, this is the lowest figure for highway robbery since 2017, when 434 cases were reported.
For the case of traffic events, in 2023 we return to the 2016 figure: more than 12,500 accidents, in contrast to the highest figure recorded in recent years, which was more than 15,000 in 2023. Any strategic action to improve so much in such a short time?
Just last October, 24 people died while traveling on a passenger bus in Zacatecas, which is a reminder of the great tragedies of recent years on federal roads.
In December 2021, a trailer carrying more than 160 migrants overturned undetected, leaving 56 people dead.
In July 2023, a bus overturned in Oaxaca, killing 29 people.
Also in 2023, during the month of August, a bus fell into a ravine in Baja California, leaving 15 people dead.
Zacatecas also has a precedent in September 2022, when a passenger bus collided with another, causing 19 fatalities.
This period includes the accident that left 16 people dead in Sonora, after a bus heading to the northern border collided with several vehicles.
Is there a sinister force that has caused a greater number of accidents in recent years? No. It is the lack of reviews of the physical and mechanical conditions of vehicles, vehicle inspection points and following to the letter the Mexican Official Standard of weights and dimensions for transportation. Let's not talk about those who clamored for the eradication of double semi-trailers due to the high degree of danger they represented.
This is in addition to the economic impact on users of federal roads when they have to wait hours for inexperienced personnel to clear the road after an accident of any magnitude.
Why have we reached this point? Gradually, the specialized road personnel of the civilian institution that disappeared and were replaced by people with no knowledge of traffic laws and regulations on federal roads, as well as in operational capabilities for incident response, were dismissed.
In addition, there is a lack of investigation and intelligence work, as well as a healthy relationship and coordination with business chambers and transportation organizations.
And everything passes through the road: the hitman, the gun, the drugs, the ammunition, the merchandise, the hydrocarbons. And it happens with few obstacles and little attention.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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