Seven members of the same family have been murdered in eastern Mexico, at a time when criticism is increasing once morest the security policy of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who repeats that violence cannot be fought with violence.
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The bodies of three women and four men, including a minor, were found on Sunday in the state of Veracruz (east), one of the most affected by violence, the public prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
The victims “are members of a single family” who own a chain of butcher shops, a source from the National Guard, a security force created by President Lopez Obrador following he came to power in 2018, told AFP.
Mexico is caught up in violence mainly linked to drug trafficking, which has claimed nearly 340,000 victims since December 2006. Former President Vicente Calderon (2006-2012) then launched an all-out war once morest drug traffickers, which left them ultimately radicalized and atomized into more armed and violent cells.
On Saturday, an army officer died during an operation that led to the arrest of three suspected drug traffickers in the state of Sonora (northwest), announced the head of state during his conference of daily Press.
Mexico recorded 12,737 murders between January and May, according to official figures.
“We are convinced that we cannot confront violence with violence,” repeated the head of state, who says he wants to first tackle the causes of violence, namely poverty and unemployment. .
Its “hugs, not shootouts” strategy with organized crime was called into question following the assassination of two Jesuits 10 days ago in the mountains of Chihuahua (north).
“How many assassinations in Mexico!” lamented Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit.
“It is time to revise the security strategies which are failing”, reacted the Episcopal Conference, asking the government to listen to the whole of society (families of victims, police, media, all parties. ..) and to implement a “national dialogue” for peace.
“We believe that it is not useful to deny reality,” she added.
