Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo Proposes New Civil Protection Reform

Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño of the Mexican state of Sonora will present a bill to the state congress proposing a "New Institutional Model for Integrated Risk Management and Civil Protection." The draft legislation seeks to give the civil‑protection agency autonomy, recognize civil protection as a human right, and change the method for appointing its head so that the body answers to citizens rather than the state government.

The initiative incorporates 140 citizen proposals collected during public forums held in Hermosillo, Cajeme, Nogales and San Luis Rio Colorado, which attracted 656 participants, 33 speakers and representatives of 41 organizations. Local universities and technical institutes helped host the consultations. Durazo says the reform aims to increase transparency, strengthen prevention and improve emergency response throughout Sonora.