By The opinion
09 Dec 2023, 11:42 AM EST
It seemed like a normal gathering of townspeople, but it soon turned into a a massacre that left 14 dead11 hitmen from The Michoacan Family and three inhabitants who defended themselves against extortion. It happened on December 8 on the Texcaltitlán soccer field, in the State of Mexico, a site that the criminal group has turned into “No Man’s Land.”
They summoned them to demand a weekly fee to let them plant their own lands, a situation that has damaged their economy, fatigue was present, since criminals charge for what is not theirs, thus limiting people’s lives.
Machetes, sticks and knives were brandished by the inhabitants against the hitmen, who arrived in vehicles wanting to collect extortion. After taking their lives, they set fire to their bodies and units, according to the newspaper La Jornada. The violent event also left four people injured and two missing.
But this massacre is not an act of barbarism that came out of nowhere, It is the result of years of submission and abusein which the authorities have not done much to solve.
Even at the time of the attack, neither state nor municipal police were observed, much less members of the National Guard or the Army.
The scourge of La Familia Michoacana in Texcaltitlán
For years, La Familia Michoacana has been spreading terror in Tierra Caliente, made up of the State of Mexico, Guerrero and Michoacán, as well as in other parts of said states. Their criminal activity is extensive and the authorities’ response is late, which has caused confrontations.
Although some of them have been carried out by criminals and the authorities, what happened on Friday night shows the situation that exists in Texcaltitlán, where extortions, floor charges and kidnappings are common.
The name of the municipality became “famous” in 2019, when three musicians from the “Banda Fiestera” were beaten and killed shot by members of the Familia Michoacana.
Three years later, in June 2022, armed civilians confronted elements of the Navy Secretariat and National Guard, leaving 11 people dead.
The events occurred when agents from the Prosecutor’s Office were carrying out an operation to capture some of the main generators of violence in the region, at which time they were ambushed by members of La Familia Michoacana.
Said operation, In addition to the 11 dead, 10 criminals were arrested and four were injured.three injured police officers and the seizure of 20 assault rifles, short weapons, useful cartridges, military-type uniforms, ballistic vests and five armored cars.
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