Mexico's president asks Sinaloa cartel to act 'responsibly' as violence escalates in the north
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is asking the warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel terrorizing the capital city of Culiacán to act "responsibly” so no one else gets killed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Friday asked the warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel to act "responsibly” so no one else gets killed, after a week of escalating violence nearly paralyzed the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan.
Asked by a journalist if he trusted that the cartels would heed his call, López Obrador answered bluntly: “The president of Mexico is always listened to.”
“Even by criminals?" pressed the journalist.
“By everyone, more so if one has moral authority,” responded the president.
The exchange Friday during the president's morning press briefing is the latest in a series of instances where López Obrador has downplayed the clashes between factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
The president, who leaves office on Sept. 30, has repeatedly refused to confront cartels, laying out various justifications for his “hugs, not bullets” strategy offering opportunities to youths so they won’t join cartels.
The latest clashes in Culiacan are the latest example of the violence that continues to plague Mexico, where cartels employ increasingly sophisticated forms of warfare including roadside bombs or IEDs, trenches, home-made armored vehicles and bomb-dropping drones.
The cartels "have to look for other ways, so they do not harm innocent people ... and avoid further loss of life,” López Obrador said on Friday. “They also should take care of themselves and their families.”
The surge in violence had been expected after Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, landed near El Paso, Texas on July 25 in a small plane with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
Zambada was the cartel’s elder figure and reclusive leader. After his arrest, he said in a letter circulated by his lawyer that he had been abducted by the younger Guzmán and taken to the U.S. against his will.
Now there appears to be a struggle for power between the remaining sons of El Chapo, known locally as “the Chapitos,” and those loyal to Zambada.
As of Thursday, state authorities had reported at least 12 dead, 11 people with gunshot wounds, 20 reports of missing people and 31 cases of car robberies. The actual number of fatalities may be higher since the cartels often pick up their own dead.
Streets in Culiacan appeared empty as schools and businesses remained closed Friday and festivities around Mexican Independence on Sept. 15-16 were officialy canceled by the local government. ___
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.