A prominent Tijuana business group has reestablished its relationship with the government. Business leaders say the government has shown results in fighting crime in the border region. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.
Tijuana’s Business Advisory Council has been boycotting government events since last September. The council announced the boycott after 44 people were murdered in Tijuana in one month. Many blamed the bloodshed on the arrest of alleged drug kingpin Francisco Javier Arellano Felix.
The business council also blamed local, state and federal authorities for pointing fingers at each other instead of cracking down on crime. Business Council President Daniel Romero says now that federal forces have arrived in Tijuana, his group will resume relations with government officials. Meanwhile, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon is lamenting that Operation Tijuana has been more effective in neighboring Mexicali. Federal forces arrested seven suspected Arellano Felix Cartel kidnappers and three policemen there. Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered soldiers to Tijuana two weeks ago to crack down on drug trafficking. Amy Isackson, KPBS News.