`You can`t fix this with soldiers`: from gang war to peace treaties in Monterrey
(The Guardian Mexico)

In January, 13 gangs met at a gym hall in Monterrey to sign a truce - the project of a former gang member who is showing that militarised police is not the only way to fight Mexico´s gang violenceJuan Pablo García was six years old when he left home and joined a street gang. Over the next 14 years he sold marijuana for a local kingpin, became the leader of his own gang and developed a heavy cocaine addiction. Like thousands of others who hustle on the dusty streets of Monterrey, Mexico´s third-biggest city, he was the product of a society that has spawned a seemingly endless cycle of violent crime.`I grew up in a very poor neighbourhood. We didn´t even have water or basic services,` García recalls. `After my dad abandoned us I wanted to earn money on the streets to support my mum, but I ended up getting involved with gangs.`The safest city is not the one with the most police - it´s the one with the fewest criminalsNow I´ve seen another side to life I can´t believe how I used to live. Related: Hope in the heart of apache territory: Mexico City`s Deportivo Chavos Banda Continue reading...