Title: Violence Escalates in Apatzingán Following the Death of Self-Defense Leader
Subtitle: Cartel-Related Shootings and Roadblocks Plague the Mexican City
Apatzingán.- The violence perpetrated by drug cartels in Apatzingán, a prominent commercial city in the hot land of Mexico, has escalated once again. This surge in violence comes just one day after the burial of self-defense leader Hipólito Mora, who had given his life in the ongoing battle against the cartels.
Yesterday morning, trucks and buses deliberately planted by cartel members blocked highways to and from Apatzingán, leaving helpless vehicle owners and drivers stranded. Anxiety-filled witnesses reported cartel members threatening to burn vehicles if they were moved or interfered with.
In one incident, gunmen seized a family’s vehicle in Apatzingán and used it to fatally shoot another driver just a few blocks away. The victim’s car was found pinned against a bridge railing, with the lifeless body slumped over in the passenger seat. The execution happened so swiftly that the vehicle continued moving for a few yards before coming to a stop, leaning on one side.
A friend of the deceased driver, who had briefly left a family gathering to buy a pizza, blamed the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) for the murder. It is notable that Apatzingán has long been under the control of rival cartel Los Viagras. However, the theory linking CJNG to the incident is not far-fetched as the CJNG has been actively attempting to enter Michoacán, the state where Apatzingán is located.
Recently, the conflict between CJNG and Los Viagras has intensified, with the battleground now shifting to the Rio Grande, a small river situated approximately 15 miles south of Apatzingán. Residents of Las Bateas, a town along the river, were forced to evacuate their homes due to fierce gunfire clashes between the two cartels. CJNG members have crossed the river, advancing northward and claiming territory on the outskirts of Apatzingán.
In response, the Mexican government has sent reinforcements from the army and the National Guard. This move is part of an undisclosed long-standing policy aimed at preventing the CJNG’s advancement while tolerating Los Viagras.
Despite the slight increase in security, residents of Apatzingán are well aware that the current situation is not sustainable. Los Viagras’ systematic extortion has resulted in significantly higher prices for basic goods in the region. For example, a soda that costs 80 cents elsewhere in Mexico can sell for $1.40 in Apatzingán, while a coconut popsicle priced at 90 cents in the rest of the country costs $1.75 in the cartel-controlled city. This extortion, which includes direct protection payments from farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs, is slowly suffocating the once-thriving farmland.
Tragically, the death of Hipólito Mora, one of the last leaders of the self-defense movement in Mexico, has further dampened hopes of a civilian resistance against the drug cartels. Buried alongside two loyal supporters who were killed alongside him, Mora’s death has left little room for revival. Some angry relatives have mentioned the possibility of relaunching the 2013-2014 armed peasant movement that successfully ousted a cartel but fell short in preventing new ones from emerging. However, many doubt the feasibility of such an endeavor.
“He thought of his town, of his people, and none of us is going to do that,” expressed Olivia Mora, Hipólito’s sister, tearfully speaking in front of his coffin. “None of us are going to do what he did with that courage,” she declared.
Apatzingán and its resilient inhabitants remain caught in the crossfires of Mexico’s deadly drug cartel wars. The urgent need for a comprehensive solution to restore stability and security in the region continues to grow.