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Bereaved parent praises peace caravan

June 13, 2011

A Mexican man whose son died in recent drug-related violence has spoken out in praise of a major demonstration.

Eminent poet Javier Sicilia is behind a cross-country peace caravan, which according to Martin Azalea Torres, has given people hope that justice will be done.

Speaking to BBC News, he said those responsible for the death of his son and other victims must be "made to pay" and face the necessary punishments.

"This march encourages us not to stay silent – to keep fighting, to be able to keep standing," Mr Torres commented.

He added that in many parts of Mexico, including his hometown of San Luis Potosi, there is a "climate of fear" because of the drug cartels.

Mr Torres's son – who was himself a father of two – was killed at the age of 26 last year, although the perpetrators have not yet been identified.

Sicilia has meanwhile argued that the US must do more to tackle the problem of drug-related violence in Mexico, as he believes it has a "grave responsibility in all this".