Mexico: Dialogue with criminal groups out of question

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Mexico sought to clear up comments made by its interior secretary that the government is in talks with criminal organizations.

Olga Sanchez Cordero's statements were taken out of context, the Interior Ministry said on Twitter.

Sanchez expressed "willingness today to hold dialogue with authentic self-defense organizations, to achieve the pacification of some areas of the country, the disarmament of those organizations and those who integrate them for the benefit of the communities and municipalities," the ministry said.

"The Federal Government of Mexico does not have nor will have a dialogue with any organized crime group," it stressed.

The allegations circulated in the media after Sanchez told reporters Tuesday: "We are in dialogue right now with many groups and they have already told us that they don't want to continue in this violence, they want to lay down their weapons and they want to walk toward peace."

Mexico has been besieged by deadly violence with drug cartels and criminal gangs fighting for control of territories.

The total number of victims of violent deaths since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador office in December 2018 is approaching 20,000, according to the National Public Security System.