While violence goes unstoppable AMLO says “there’s no big problem”

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Earlier last week, “roaming bands of criminals” set fire to buses, cars, and businesses and put up roadblocks on major streets in the Jalisco and Guanajuato states, the Los Angeles Times reports, leaving one person dead and at least 24 Oxxo convenience stores torched.

In the northern border town of Ciudad Juárez, two people were killed on Thursday in a prison riot between members of the Los Chapos and Los Mexicles groups. Ricardo Mejía, Mexico’s deputy security minister, told reporters that it isn’t clear why the groups clashed, but in retaliation, members of Los Mexicles went on a rampage across Juárez, killing at least nine people, including four radio station employees and a 12-year-old who was shot at a Circle K store.

The violence hit Baja California on Friday. In Tijuana, the streets emptied after the Jalisco New Generation Cartel allegedly posted messages online warning people that if they were caught outside, they could get attacked. “Be warned,” the message said. “As of Friday at 10 p.m. through Sunday at 3 a.m., we’re going to create mayhem so the … government frees our people.”

Officials said roadblocks were put up around the state and at least 24 vehicles were hijacked and then set on fire. U.S. government employees were instructed by the consulate in Tijuana to shelter in place until further notice — the order was lifted on Sunday — and cruise ships skipped docking at Ensenada.

How are civilians responding?

These brutal incidents shocked Mexicans, with Adrián López, director of the Noroeste newspaper, tweeting, “The Mexican state has been overrun and can no longer protect its citizens.” In the wake of the violence, many people in Juárez decided against opening their stores over fears that there would be more attacks. The same thing happened in Tijuana, with businesses closed and events canceled, but by Sunday most establishments were once again in operation.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador told reporters on Friday that it was unusual for these attackers to target civilians since gangs usually focus on fighting each other. “This is something that hadn’t presented itself before and hopefully won’t be repeated, because they attacked the civilian population, innocents, as a type of retaliation,” López Obrador said.

López Obrador stated on Monday that “there is no big problem” with security in Mexico, adding, “I don’t know if there was a connection, a hidden hand if this had been set up. What I do know is that our opponents, the corrupt conservatives, help in the black propaganda.”

Source: OEM

Baja California Post