Jesús Manuel Lara Rodríguez
Encyclopedia
Jesús Manuel Lara Rodríguez (1962 – June 19, 2010) was a Mexican
politician murdered in the ongoing drug war
in his country. He was the mayor
of Guadalupe, Chihuahua
, in the extreme northern part of Mexico near the United States border, from 2007 till 2010.
Guadalupe is one of Mexico's most dangerous towns. After receiving death threats from Mexican drug cartels, Lara secretly moved his family to nearby Ciudad Juárez
, but was murdered there. His death caused the Chihuahua governor to order protection for the state capitol while safety measures were discussed in closed session.
Lara was known for his staunch opposition to the drug lords, in which efforts he worked alongside other mayors of towns bordering the United States, such as the Ciudad Juárez mayor. "His [Lara's] case is the best proof that the fight against the flow of drugs into the U.S. is right at the border."
, United States, is in the Valley of Juárez, an area near the border that had seen increased drug violence in 2010. The violence had already struck Guadalupe's politics in February 2009, with the murder of two council members. The arrival of 2000 federal troops to combat the drug gangs in Ciudad Juárez in early 2010 caused a surge in violence in Guadalupe that has killed hundreds of people. Since March, houses and shops were destroyed by arson, and threats by organized crime rings forced out residents. Guadalupe's law enforcement was affected, meanwhile, as its police force was reduced from 40 to 4 officers by the time of Lara's murder.
Lara formed a friendship with the Ciudad Juárez mayor, José Reyes Ferriz
, and the two leaders had rallied for other border towns to fight the drug cartels. Both were members of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and active members of the Conferencia de Alcaldes Fronterizos . Lara's term was scheduled to end later in 2010, after elections in July.
Lara "never asked for protection from the city", said the mayor of Ciudad Juárez, who had not been told by his colleague of the latter's residency in Ciudad Juárez.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
politician murdered in the ongoing drug war
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
in his country. He was the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Guadalupe, Chihuahua
Guadalupe, Chihuahua
Guadalupe is a city and seat of the municipality of Guadalupe, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2010, the town had a total population of 3,022 inhabitants....
, in the extreme northern part of Mexico near the United States border, from 2007 till 2010.
Guadalupe is one of Mexico's most dangerous towns. After receiving death threats from Mexican drug cartels, Lara secretly moved his family to nearby Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, but was murdered there. His death caused the Chihuahua governor to order protection for the state capitol while safety measures were discussed in closed session.
Lara was known for his staunch opposition to the drug lords, in which efforts he worked alongside other mayors of towns bordering the United States, such as the Ciudad Juárez mayor. "His [Lara's] case is the best proof that the fight against the flow of drugs into the U.S. is right at the border."
Context of his career as mayor
The Mexico-US border area is the main battleground in the war among drug cartels for control of smuggling routes leading from Mexico to the US. Since 2006 the conflict intensified as Mexican authorities stepped up their fight against these cartels. The war has left 23,000 deaths between 2006 and 2010. Guadalupe, located south of Hudspeth County, Texas and across El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, United States, is in the Valley of Juárez, an area near the border that had seen increased drug violence in 2010. The violence had already struck Guadalupe's politics in February 2009, with the murder of two council members. The arrival of 2000 federal troops to combat the drug gangs in Ciudad Juárez in early 2010 caused a surge in violence in Guadalupe that has killed hundreds of people. Since March, houses and shops were destroyed by arson, and threats by organized crime rings forced out residents. Guadalupe's law enforcement was affected, meanwhile, as its police force was reduced from 40 to 4 officers by the time of Lara's murder.
Lara formed a friendship with the Ciudad Juárez mayor, José Reyes Ferriz
José Reyes Ferriz
José Reyes Estrada Ferriz is a Mexican politician, affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party...
, and the two leaders had rallied for other border towns to fight the drug cartels. Both were members of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and active members of the Conferencia de Alcaldes Fronterizos . Lara's term was scheduled to end later in 2010, after elections in July.
Death
Lara's crime-fighting activities earned him several death threats from drug lords. He installed his family in Ciudad Juárez, as a result, meanwhile maintaining his official residence in Guadalupe. Three men shot the mayor in the back on June 19, 2010, in front of his wife and child as he walked to his car, outside the Ciudad Juárez house. The gunmen then fled in a car. Police found 11 bullet shells at the scene of the shooting. In response to Lara's murder, the governor of the state of Chihuahua, José Reyes Baeza, ordered 100 combined federal, state and military troops to guard the state capitol while a closed door session discussed safety measures.Lara "never asked for protection from the city", said the mayor of Ciudad Juárez, who had not been told by his colleague of the latter's residency in Ciudad Juárez.