Thousands demand end to violence in Mexican cartel hotspot

What the report says

Thousands of residents marched in Culiacán, the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, to call for an end to the cartel-linked violence that has gripped the region. BBC World News reported that the protest took place on Sunday and was organised by relatives of victims, local businesses, civil society groups and the Catholic church. Many participants wore white and carried signs demanding peace and support for missing loved ones.

The demonstration came as the state marks two years since a feud began between two rival Sinaloa cartel factions, Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, following the arrest in the United States of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. According to the BBC, the conflict has brought a sharp rise in murders, disappearances, extortions and robberies, with residents living amid ambushes, shootings and roadblocks. Local business figures say the violence has also hurt the economy, with thousands of businesses closing since the fighting began.

The march opened with a Mass, and the bishop of Culiacán urged the armed groups to stop and consider the harm being done to families and young people. The BBC also noted that some attendees were relatives of a one-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet during a recent shootout. The unrest has been accompanied by political tension in Sinaloa, including allegations by U.S. prosecutors involving state officials and cartel-linked trafficking, which Mexican authorities are also examining.