Mexico: 14 killed in clash between villagers and cartel members
In Mexico, at least 14 people were killed in the center of the country during a violent clash between residents of a rural village and members of a cartel. An incident that arouses strong emotion in Mexican society.
A member of the National Guard in front of the wreckage of a car (illustrative image). AFP - STR
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The incident took place in Texcaltitlán, in the state of Mexico. They were filmed by residents holed up in their homes. In the videos, men are seen armed with assault rifles.
According to the Mexican press, they were members of La Familia Michoacana, one of the country's main cartels, who came to this farming village to extort money from producers and traders. But the people of Texcaltitlán, armed with machetes, sticks and knives, gather at a sports field to chase away the criminals.
When the first shots rang out, the villagers rushed at the cartel members. According to local authorities, 14 people were killed, including 11 members of the criminal group. "The deaths of 14 individuals have been reported, eleven of whom appear to belong to a criminal group and three of whom are residents of the area," Mexico's State Secretariat said in a statement, adding that four people were shot and two others were missing.
Rural areas plagued by cartels
It was only after the violence that the police and the National Guard arrived in Texcaltitlán to "regain control of the area," according to them. But for many Mexicans, this incident once again illustrates the unbearable plight of rural areas, plagued by cartels, because they have been abandoned by the state.
Since the launch of a controversial military anti-drug offensive in 2006, the country's murder rate has tripled to 25 per 100,000 people. Mexico has recorded more than 420,000 murders since the launch of the military offensive.
(
With AFP)
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