HUITZILAC, Mexico — A sense of unease enveloped the town of Huitzilac on Tuesday, as schools and several businesses closed their doors and the streets remained largely deserted. This came just hours after a violent incident where five individuals were shot dead in the very location where eight lives were lost due to a similar attack eight months prior.
Situated south of Mexico City, Huitzilac has become a hotspot for violence due to conflicts between rival criminal factions and issues like illegal logging. The latest victims were reportedly local activists who were campaigning for positions related to the community’s management of shared resources, including the surrounding forests, in anticipation of elections slated for March.
On Monday afternoon, a group composed of four men and one woman was going door to door as part of their campaign when they were ambushed by armed assailants who arrived in two vehicles. The attack occurred on the main street of Huitzilac, resulting in their tragic deaths.
Blanca Delgadillo, a 70-year-old resident, expressed her concerns about the dangers of local participation in these elections, lamenting, “I told them years ago not to participate, there are always problems.” Her son-in-law, José Cuevas, a farmer, was one of the victims of this latest incident. Delgadillo remarked on how the community of approximately 20,000 residents had been plagued by escalating violence in recent years, leaving them in a constant state of fear.
The mayor of Huitzilac, César Dávila Díaz, who assumed office on January 1, condemned the attack and noted that such violent occurrences have affected the town’s reputation as a troubled area. However, he dismissed the idea that drug cartels were involved and stated he was unsure of the motivations behind the incident.
After the attack, evidence of the violence remained visible on the streets, with bloodstains and five candles placed in memory of the deceased. In response to the violence, two hundred members of the National Guard were dispatched to support local and state law enforcement agencies.
José Romero, a 53-year-old farmer living near the site of the shooting, recounted how he was watching television when he heard the sudden burst of gunfire. He pointed out that the town’s safety fluctuates with the presence of security forces, stating that incidents like this one tend to occur more frequently in the absence of the National Guard.
Just last May, a separate attack occurred when individuals were targeted while enjoying drinks after a soccer match, notably just two weeks prior to the Mexican presidential elections. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who won the presidential race decisively, inherited a complex security landscape plagued by the struggle of numerous criminal organizations vying for control across the nation.
These groups are not only after territorial dominance for drug and arms trafficking but are also increasingly exerting pressure for extortion within communities. Although Sheinbaum’s administration has shown a stronger resolve in combating these criminal organizations compared to her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, violence remains prevalent in numerous areas of the country.
Violence has been especially fierce among factions of the Sinaloa cartel, which has been engaged in conflicts within the capital of Sinaloa state for months. Additionally, clashes between the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels have expanded across various states from central Michoacan to the southern region of Chiapas bordering Guatemala.
In another alarming event reported on Tuesday, dismembered remains of unidentified victims were discovered along a highway in Tabasco state, which led the governor to announce the deployment of 180 soldiers to tackle the worrying surge in violence affecting the area.
