JUAREZ, Mexico -- Mexico's president capped off his visit to Juarez, Mexico with a gathering of young people -- that at times felt like a pep rally. They told President Felipe Calderon about their effort to help a city struggling with violent crime.
From gang prevention programs to therapy dogs for children coping with trauma, the Todos Somos Juarez program tries to reduce violence and crime by investing in different development projects and providing social benefits.
The president noted there had been real progress in the two years since he created the program and increased funding to repair the social fabric, but there is still more to be done. This was in response to a public outcry over the massacre of 16 students at a birthday party.
This may be President Calderon's last visit to Juarez before he leaves office later this year. During his administration, the border city bore the brunt of the drug war, and rebuilding it became one of his biggest challenges.
