Michoacán News: What Will Former Militias Do After ‘Legalization’?

Former members of citizen militias in the Mexican state of Michoacán who registered their weapons before the deadline of May 10 will be eligible to join one of two government forces in coming weeks and months. One, the Rural State Forces, entered into existence over the weekend with the swearing-in of 450 former vigilantes (including eight women), who will continue to use military-grade weapons in their patrols in towns across the Tierra Caliente. They will also collect a paycheck reportedly more than that of local police officers.

But Animal Politico reports that other former militia members will make up a second, different police corps whose nature had previously gone unannounced by authorities. The Rural Defense Corps, as it will be called when it’s unveiled this week, was originally described as a force which would carry out duties much like those of the Rural State Forces; instead, the Defense Corps will be dedicated to helping the national department of defense with its cartel-related investigations in the state. Members will be unpaid, serving as volunteers at the behest of the defense department. As of Monday, the government said it had received about 800 applications.

El Financiero writes that on Monday, Michoacán security commissioner Alfredo Castillo said that nearly 8,000 firearms belonging to militias -- including some 5,800 military-grade weapons -- had been registered with the government thus far. The “legalization” of militias came after April 14 accords hailed by militia leaders who had resisted earlier attempts by the government to disarm them. May 10 was given as the deadline under that accord for the militias’ dissolution. Some are still carrying out patrols; Castillo said on Monday the government hopes that the transition will be complete within three weeks.