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| Mexican Leader, Facing Protests, Promises to Overhaul Policing | Mexican Leader, Facing Protests, Promises to Overhaul Policing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MEXICO CITY — Facing waves of anger and frustration after local officials and the police were implicated in the disappearance and presumed murder of 43 college students, President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday proposed a broad plan to revamp local policing, stamp out corruption and establish the rule of law nationwide. | |
| Mr. Peña Nieto delivered a 30-minute, wide-ranging televised address meant to pull himself out of the lowest point of his two-year tenure and respond to mass demonstrations expressing frustration with the political class and demanding action. | Mr. Peña Nieto delivered a 30-minute, wide-ranging televised address meant to pull himself out of the lowest point of his two-year tenure and respond to mass demonstrations expressing frustration with the political class and demanding action. |
| The more than 1,800 municipal police forces would effectively be disbanded and come under the control of state governments, and the federal government would have the power to dissolve municipal governments found to be corrupt. The public would have more opportunity to review government contracts. A national 911 system would be installed, and jurisdiction confusion among the nation’s police, which often hampers investigations, would be clarified. | The more than 1,800 municipal police forces would effectively be disbanded and come under the control of state governments, and the federal government would have the power to dissolve municipal governments found to be corrupt. The public would have more opportunity to review government contracts. A national 911 system would be installed, and jurisdiction confusion among the nation’s police, which often hampers investigations, would be clarified. |
| The president also proposed measures to address poverty and the economic disparity between the northern and southern parts of the country, though even affluent states have had serious organized crime problems. | The president also proposed measures to address poverty and the economic disparity between the northern and southern parts of the country, though even affluent states have had serious organized crime problems. |
| Some of his proposals never made it out of Congress under predecessors, including putting local police under state authority. Yet he has had success pushing through other broad changes designed to improve the economy, and as much as anything he aimed to restore the public’s flagging faith in his governance. | Some of his proposals never made it out of Congress under predecessors, including putting local police under state authority. Yet he has had success pushing through other broad changes designed to improve the economy, and as much as anything he aimed to restore the public’s flagging faith in his governance. |
| “These acts of violence demand that we redouble efforts to achieve the full application of rule of law,” he said. | “These acts of violence demand that we redouble efforts to achieve the full application of rule of law,” he said. |
| For two months, the students, from a rural teachers college, have been missing. The police in Iguala, in the state of Guerrero, abducted them as they were taking part in a protest and turned them over to a drug gang, which killed them and burned their remains, witnesses have told federal prosecutors. Bone fragments found this month are being tested, while the mayor of Iguala and his wife, whom the government said had ruled the city in league with criminals, have been jailed as the masterminds behind the disappearance. | For two months, the students, from a rural teachers college, have been missing. The police in Iguala, in the state of Guerrero, abducted them as they were taking part in a protest and turned them over to a drug gang, which killed them and burned their remains, witnesses have told federal prosecutors. Bone fragments found this month are being tested, while the mayor of Iguala and his wife, whom the government said had ruled the city in league with criminals, have been jailed as the masterminds behind the disappearance. |
| The case has pushed Mexico’s chronic problems with organized crime, impunity and lawlessness back to the forefront and forced Mr. Peña Nieto, who had tried to prioritize the economy, to act. | The case has pushed Mexico’s chronic problems with organized crime, impunity and lawlessness back to the forefront and forced Mr. Peña Nieto, who had tried to prioritize the economy, to act. |
| “This shows a change from a government that thought that economics will fix security issues, to one that acknowledges that security — and rule of law — is needed to allow economic growth to happen,” said Viridiana Rios, a security analyst and director of a civic group. | “This shows a change from a government that thought that economics will fix security issues, to one that acknowledges that security — and rule of law — is needed to allow economic growth to happen,” said Viridiana Rios, a security analyst and director of a civic group. |
| But Mr. Peña Nieto faces a doubting, and in some cases hostile, public accustomed to grandiose speeches and lofty promises from leaders. | But Mr. Peña Nieto faces a doubting, and in some cases hostile, public accustomed to grandiose speeches and lofty promises from leaders. |
| “The real question is whether the Mexican people, who have been promised investigations, overhauls, special commissions, anti-corruption campaigns and institutional reorganizations by this president — and nearly every other authority since the Mexican Revolution — will believe these latest promises,” said Eric L. Olson, who studies Latin America security at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. | “The real question is whether the Mexican people, who have been promised investigations, overhauls, special commissions, anti-corruption campaigns and institutional reorganizations by this president — and nearly every other authority since the Mexican Revolution — will believe these latest promises,” said Eric L. Olson, who studies Latin America security at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. |
| Analysts said many of the proposals, if not new ideas, were needed, but questioned whether Mr. Peña Nieto had the credibility to pull them off because of scandals under his watch. | Analysts said many of the proposals, if not new ideas, were needed, but questioned whether Mr. Peña Nieto had the credibility to pull them off because of scandals under his watch. |
| The government rescinded a $3.7 billion bid to a Chinese-led consortium to build a high-speed rail line after critics accused the administration of favoring it because the parent firm of a company in the deal won several contracts from Mr. Peña Nieto when he was a state governor. | The government rescinded a $3.7 billion bid to a Chinese-led consortium to build a high-speed rail line after critics accused the administration of favoring it because the parent firm of a company in the deal won several contracts from Mr. Peña Nieto when he was a state governor. |
| Then it was revealed that the first lady was buying in unspecified installments a $7 million ultramodern home — called “the white house” in the press — from another subsidiary of the company, Grupo Higa. She has since backed out of the contract. | Then it was revealed that the first lady was buying in unspecified installments a $7 million ultramodern home — called “the white house” in the press — from another subsidiary of the company, Grupo Higa. She has since backed out of the contract. |
| Mr. Peña Nieto, whose aides have insisted that there was no conflict of interest in either case, mentioned the need to address corruption several times but never referred to the deals. | Mr. Peña Nieto, whose aides have insisted that there was no conflict of interest in either case, mentioned the need to address corruption several times but never referred to the deals. |
| “You can’t announce credible strategies to deal with corruption without facing his own scandal of his wife’s white house, whether the conflict of interest is real or not,” said Fernando Dworak, a political analyst and columnist. “He needs to give the message, it starts with himself.” | “You can’t announce credible strategies to deal with corruption without facing his own scandal of his wife’s white house, whether the conflict of interest is real or not,” said Fernando Dworak, a political analyst and columnist. “He needs to give the message, it starts with himself.” |
| The proposals would initially focus on four troubled states: Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. | The proposals would initially focus on four troubled states: Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. |
| The announcement comes a few days before another round of demonstrations are planned on Monday, when Mr. Peña Nieto will formally submit his proposals to Congress. | |
| Some analysts saw reining in municipal police as a crucial step but questioned whether state forces were any more up to the task, given their own histories of corruption and drug ties. | |
| “State police are not much better than municipal ones,” said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst and former Mexican intelligence official. | |
| The security problems show little sign of letting up. | |
| On Thursday, the decapitated bodies of 11 young people were found in Guerrero State, the same state where the students went to school and disappeared. The governor also said reports of a mass abduction before the one in Iguala would also be investigated. |