Mexico: A wave of violence in Ciudad Juarez leaves eleven dead and burned businesses

Juarez Cityone of Mexico’s main border cities with the United States, was the scene of a wave of violence on Thursday that killed 11 people, including a radio host, and burned down businesses, authorities said Friday.

In the first case, two prisoners were shot dead and 20 others were injured in a clash between rival gangs in the city jail, Deputy Security Minister Ricardo Mejia said at a morning conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

According to local media, both gangs are connected to the drug cartel. Sinaloaformer capo Joaquin “Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in USA.

Subsequently, “innocent civilians were attacked as a form of retribution. It was not just a confrontation between the two groups, but the time came when they started shooting at civilians, innocent people, ”López Obrador said for his part.

After the riots, two women were killed and another man was injured during an attack on a grocery store. This and two other rooms were set on fire.

At night, militants killed four people in the middle of the street, including an announcer Alan Gonzalezfrom the local radio station Mega Radiuswho broadcast live. According to Mejia, other victims worked at the station.

Witnesses said the radio team was doing promotional activities in front of the pizzeria and the case is being investigated by the official journalist protection mechanism.

At least 13 other communicators were killed in Mexico so far this year, according to reports from press freedom organizations. It is investigated whether the crimes are related to his profession.

drug siege

Mejia spoke about three other murders without giving details of the circumstances, as well as the capture of six people accused of participating in the attacks.

Meanwhile, local police have announced four more arrests after Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos announced that federal and state forces had entered the city of 1.5 million people to restore order.

This series of attacks on Juarez City They come two days after an escalation in violence in the states of Jalisco (west) and Guanajuato (center), which the government attributes to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful in the country.

As a result of these events, the alleged perpetrator died, 16 detainees, and 25 businesses and several cars were burned.

Some of the attacks took place on the outskirts of Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.

Violence erupted after soldiers stormed a meeting between alleged CJNG bosses, according to López Obrador, who is credited by the opposition with a passive attitude towards drug traffickers.

Following Thursday’s escalation, several sectors of Ciudad Juarez were abandoned, some universities suspended classes this Friday, and the Chihuahua business union demanded the government take strong action against organized crime. (AFP)

Eliana Revollar, Acting Ombudsman, stressed the importance of respect for all institutions, voicing concern over statements by President Pedro Castillo who claims that the investigations against him are politically motivated.