(CNN) – At least seven people have died in the last 24 hours in Sinaloa, in northwest Mexico, the state prosecutor’s office reported on Friday.
Sinaloa, and in particular its capital, Culiacán, and its surroundings, have faced an increase in violence since Monday, September 9, due to the confrontation between two armed groups, as both state and federal authorities have admitted.
Between September 9 and 12, 12 deaths from “gunshots” had been recorded, according to data provided by the prosecutor’s office.
The violence forced the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, to suspend the celebrations for the cry of Mexican Independence, scheduled for September 15.
On Thursday, Governor Rocha Moya had already announced the suspension of classes at all levels in five municipalities in his state.
“I inform the Sinaloa society that school activities are suspended in the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, Cosalá and San Ignacio, today, September 12, 2024, at all levels and educational modalities,” said Rocha Moya in a x postformerly Twitter.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said on Thursday that his Government has “sufficient presence to guarantee peace and tranquility” in Sinaloa, and also assured that the violence responds to clashes “between two groups.” He added that it is also due to a “mismatch” that occurred after the arrest of Ismael “el Mayo” Zambada, which occurred on July 25. Zambada testified this Friday in a New York court.
López Obrador once again referred to the acts of violence this Friday and downplayed Governor Rocha Moya’s decision to suspend the shouting celebrations scheduled for September 15.
“There have been some problems, there is the Army, there is the Navy, the National Guard, (but I want) to tell the people of Culiacán, which is also just Culiacán, that we are waiting for them to act with caution but without alarmism,” López indicated. Obrador.
President López Obrador says that the violence in Sinaloa is the product of a “mismatch” after the arrest of Mayo Zambada
The US consulate in Hermosillo issued an alert on Thursday due to reports of violence in four municipalities of Sinaloa, including Culiacán.
The alert details that the US consulate has received “reports of vehicle thefts, shots fired, security operations, road blocks, burned vehicles and closed roads” in Culiacán and its surroundings, and adds that local authorities have suspended classes and public events. of Mexican Independence Day.
