9 pollsters now reported missing in western Mexico

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Aug 2, 9:44 PM EDT
9 pollsters now reported missing in western Mexico
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press

MORELIA, Mexico (AP) -- A second Mexican polling firm reported three workers missing Tuesday in a western state plagued by drug violence, two days after six workers from another survey company vanished from the same place.

The nine disappearances in an area of Michoacan state considered a stronghold of warring drug cartels are being treated as kidnappings, according to a Michoacan state government spokesman who was not authorized to be quoted by name.

They also raise concerns that drug violence could interfere with the state's Nov. 13 gubernatorial election and possibly Mexico's 2012 presidential race as well.

"What are we going to do with our poll watchers? What are we going to with the precinct workers?" said Fausto Vallejo, the gubernatorial candidate for the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party in Michoacan.





Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_MISSING_POLLSTERS?SITE=NCAGW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[EFerrari]

1. May they be found safe..

:(

[scheming daemons]

2. Margin of error: +/- 3.5

Sorry, bad joke.

[Blue_Tires]

3. what's to be gained by making poll workers disappear??

or have the cartels finally descended to taking out everyone they see who isn't on their team as a precaution??

[Judi Lynn]

4. 9 pollsters free after disappearing in west Mexico

9 pollsters free after disappearing in west Mexico
Posted on Wednesday, 08.03.11

By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press

MORELIA, Mexico -- Nine Mexican polling company workers were released Wednesday, several days after they were apparently kidnapped in a western region plagued by drug-cartel violence.

The polling firm Parametria said its three employees were released Tuesday morning, hours after six working for Consulta Mitofsky were let go in the area near the city of Apatzingan where they disappeared.

No one has said who is responsible for seizing the nine. Michoacan state Public Safety Secretary Gen. Manuel Garcia Ruiz said the six who disappeared Saturday were simply left by their captors Wednesday on a roadside in an area being disputed between the La Familia and Knights Templar cartels.

"It could be the groups that are operating there ... because it is a zone of conflict," Garcia Ruiz said.

But he stressed that "none of the polling workers were beaten, no ransom demand was made for any of them," Garcia Ruiz said. "The most likely thing is that they were held to find out who sent them and what they really wanted."

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/03/2344102/9-pollsters-free-after-disappearing.html