Posted on 07/20/2005 12:37:28 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY, July 20 (Reuters) - Heavily armed kidnappers snatched the Argentine coach of one of Mexico's biggest soccer teams in broad daylight, a brash crime that put fresh pressure on authorities to contain growing violent crime.
Police admitted on Wednesday they had few clues about who abducted Ruben Omar Romano, trainer of first division Cruz Azul, by blocking a road and grabbing him from his car Tuesday after a training session in the south of Mexico City.
"Whoever did this kidnapping is a perfectly well organized group that had enough vehicles and armed elements to carry out an exact and precise operation," the capital's police chief, Joel Ortega, told Mexican television.
He said no one had received a ransom demand for Romano, 47, who took Cruz Azul to the final stages of the league championships this year after several poor seasons.
"I would like to ask the people holding him to be gentle with him because Ruben is a very good person, a good son, a very good father and please bring him back to me as he is, don't hurt him," said his father, Jose Romano, said in a public message to the kidnappers.
Eight people traveling in two stolen SUVs cut off Romano's car, firing an assault rifle to scare him and and then beating him up before dragging him off, Mexican media said.
Long used to criminal violence, even Mexico has been shocked by a recent rise in killings and kidnappings, many of them drug-related.
In June, the government sent hundreds of troops and federal police to bring order to cities on the U.S. border, where a war between rival drug gangs has killed more than 600 people so far this year. Shootings have continued, particularly in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas.
KIDNAP CAPITAL
Mexico ranks second in the world for kidnappings after war-hit Colombia, where many abductions are political, not purely criminal, according to Mexican victims' groups.
The country also is known for "express kidnappings," an abduction in which the victim is either taken to bank cash machines and forced to take money out or driven around while relatives are told to pay up, often the same day.
As coach of one of Mexico's top clubs, Romano could earn a monthly salary of up to $100,000, a small fortune in a country where many live in poverty.
Police say 67 people have been kidnapped in Mexico City so far this year, and many more cases go unreported.
"It's not just that they are kidnapped like before but now whole families are involved where the husband kidnaps, the wife looks after the victim and the children play in front of a person with his mouth taped up," said Maria Elena Morera, of Mexico United Against Crime.
The Romano abduction, which took place just a few blocks from a pack of sports journalists and police who guard Cruz Azul's training ground, was an embarrassment for Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the front-runner in next year's presidential race who last week played down crime in the city.
"My conscience is clear because I do what is necessary (to fight crime)," Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.
The mayor has accused victims' groups of being financed by his political rivals, something they deny.
"The authorities should get on with their job instead of saying crime is under control, when that is not true," said Morera.
"Police say 67 people have been kidnapped in Mexico City so far this year, and many more cases go unreported."
About 400 have been kidnapped in Nuevo Laredo since last August, and around 40 of those were Americans!
>>>Long used to criminal violence,
Maybe this is the problem. It has just been let go for so long. Mexico has some beautiful spots that could do better in tourism, but they'd rather let the hoodlums run the place and ship half of the other hoodlums to America to get free money sent back home to their economy.
"Man on Fire" is a terrific movie to watch about Mexico's kidnappings. Denzel's interrogation techniques are provocative and gets the job done. No pussyfooting around done by Denzel Washington.
Will this be part of CAFTA or should I say the open border policy?
Coming to a Southwest American city soon.
This immediately brought to mind 'Man on Fire', for me as well. An excellent movie worthy to be called 'film', Denzel gets the job done and it points out, too, how high up the involvement/corruption in such crimes can go. Denzel's performance was fabulous and his character refused to play ball with the criminals, merely hunted them down and disrupted/ended their illegal activities.
I always wonder how many of our missing children end up sold into the sex trade down there. I used to work with a guy who had done missionary work in south and central America. He told me that "white" kids bring a high price in out of the way brothels. The saddest part is the fact that it's Europeans and Americans who pay the high price to have sex with them.
Decent movie.
Much better book, set in Italy not Mexico.
One of my favorite movies! Yes, his interrogation techniques were provacative weren't they? Denzel's protrayal of that character was masterful and expanded his future potential for roles, in my opinion.
Everyone should stay the heck away from Mexico.
Kidnap Capital Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
I have to admit that, as I watched the pictures of hurricane Emily hitting Yucatan and watching all the people there, "Whay aren't they all doing lawns in Houston?"
Everyone who is concerned about that rotten, corrupt cesspit and what it sends north should see that movie.
There's an ad running on Mexican TV lately that shows a kidnapping victim missing 4 fingers on one hand and one finger on the other, like the scene in the movie but being done to the victim instead of the kidnapper. Looks like the film makers did their research.
FYI, Cruz Azul is negotiating with the kidnappers for his release from what I heard on the radio.
Eewww. The whole film did indeed seem very realistic, a snapshot into Mexican life, at the mercy of these 'professionals'. I had hoped it was an exaggeration, but thought not. It was excellent the way that Creasey (Denzel) went after the kidnappers/crime group unafraid to use the groups own tactics on them. It's a great lesson on how to face terrorists, and it does indeed require a lot of courage. It was hard to watch some parts but truly one of the best films I've ever seen.
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