Mexico: 20-year-old Woman is New Police Chief of Northern Mexican Town · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
Her name is Marisol Valles García and she has been called the “bravest woman in Mexico” [es].
Valles García is a 20-year-old married woman studying her last year of Criminology; she is also the new chief of police in Práxedis, Chihuahua. Práxedis is located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico's most violent city.
But, why was she given this important job? Richard Grabman explained the situation in his blog The Mex Files:
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The only candidate to step forward to command the public security force was Marisol Valles García, a twenty-year old criminology student.  The new sheriff in town (and the youngest police chief in Mexico) oversees a tiny department that at most can provide two shifts of patrol officers per community.
Cristhian García, a 21-year-old Mexican blogger, commented [es] on the subject:
El alcalde de ese municipio, buscaba un Jefe de Policía, y después de repasar a todos los hombres que tenia dentro de la corporación, Marisol se levanto y dijo: “Aquí toda la gente tiene miedo, todos tenemos miedo, pero vamos a cambiar ese miedo por seguridad”
Y para demostrar su valor, ayer Marisol se dejo fotografiar con la cara descubierta, mostrando así que en Mexico aun hay personas valientes que están dispuestas a luchar contra el narcotráfico y el crimen organizado.
The  mayor of this town was looking for a Chief of Police, and after reviewing  all the men inside the corporation, Marisol stood up and said: “Here  everybody is scared, we are all afraid, but let's change that fear to safety”
And  to prove her courage, yesterday Marisol was photographed with her face  uncovered, showing that in Mexico there are still courageous people  willing to fight drug trafficking and organized crime.
An article in the news website La Polaka [es] affirmed that, “none of the men want to be a policeman and much less the police chief, because of the fear to be executed as many others in uniform have been.”
Currently, Mexican citizens and people from all over the world who have heard of Valles García's case have been tweeting about the news: User Adam D. Prince (@rabbitcincouno) from Ohio tweeted:
#HerooftheWeek Award goes to 20 yr old Marisol Valles Garcia, a criminology student that has become Police Chief in Guadalupe, Mexico…
Laura Ruíz (@YoSoyBereNice), from Veracruz, México contributed with her opinion:
Marisol Valles García de 20 años encabeza policía en Chihuahua.-Para que vean quien lleva los pantalones por allá.
Marisol Valles Garcia a 20-year old, becomes the head of the police in Chihuahua. – You see “who wears the pants” over there.
The subject was even discussed on actor Tom Cruise's account, (@TomCruise):
20yr Marisol Valles Garcia is a real-life hero as police chief of Mexico's most violent town. Let's show her support: http://bit.ly/ata0wm
Finally, in the blog Hermosillo at Periodista Digital [es], the case is addressed and Valles García is mentioned as someone her region is proud of:
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Sin duda alguna una vez más la enaguas de la bella y valiente mujer de Chihuahua pone en alto a su región.
De todas maneras bienvenidos los comentarios ya que ELLA, MARISOL VALLES GARCÍA, así con mayúsculas, fue única que aceptó el cargo.
Without a doubt, once again “the skirts” of one beautiful and courageous woman from Chihuahua give her region a good name.
Anyway, we welcome comments as SHE, MARISOL VALLES GARCÍA, like that in capital letters, was the only one who accepted the job.
This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.