CULIACÁN — Thousands of people took to the streets of Culiacán to demand an end to the violence that has wracked Mexico’s Sinaloa state since two factions of the Sinaloa cartel began a bloody war two years ago, the BBC reported.
Residents dressed in white held posters of missing loved ones and signs reading “We don’t want fear, we want peace” at Sunday’s protest, timed to the second anniversary of fighting that erupted after the U.S. arrest of drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. His followers, known as La Mayiza, accuse Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons — Los Chapitos — of betrayal, and the factions have staged ambushes, shootings, and burning roadblocks.
Businessman Sergio Esquer told AFP that more than 5,000 businesses have closed since the feud began. The Catholic Church and civil society helped organize the march, which began with a Mass in which the bishop of Culiacán urged the warring groups to stop. Relatives of a one-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet last week were among the participants.
Sinaloa’s political crisis has deepened as well. U.S. prosecutors in April accused Governor Rubén Rocha of conspiring with Los Chapitos; Rocha denied wrongdoing and has twice stepped aside amid investigations and public pressure from President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sources: BBC
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