Mexican attorney general quits

Mexican attorney general quits

2011-04-01 05:44:59 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderón confirmed on Thursday the resignation of Attorney General Arturo Chávez.

Calderón praised Chávez as an important figure in the fight against organized crime. He said that thanks to him it was possible to bring to justice many of the top leaders of criminal organizations.

The president proposed Marisela Morales, who heads the organized crime unit of the Attorney General's Office, as Chávez's replacement. She recently received the International Women of Courage award handed out by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.

"If the appointment is approved, the mission of Morales will be to deepen the strategic role of the Attorney General's Office, which was also prompted by Chávez, particularly in combating organized crime," the president said in a press conference.

Chávez, who was 18 months on the job, said he was leaving for urgent personal reasons. In the press conference, he also praised Calderón for his leadership and effort to build a better country.

Chávez is the second attorney general to resign under Calderón. He was the top prosecutor in the border state of Chihuahua, one of the most dangerous states in the country.

More than 30,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderón began the fight against organized crime in December 2006.

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