Violence in early January in Guerrero, where there were at least three massacres within three days. In addition to the massacre of residents of a mountain community on Thursday, criminals murdered five people this Saturday in Palenque, a cockfighting venue in Petatlán, in the Costa Grande region, near Zihuatanejo. Around twenty people were also injured in the attack. This Saturday, hitmen also shot and killed three sisters in Chilapa in the low mountain region.
Since the authorities cannot contain the wave of violence, they limit themselves to checking the facts. In the case of Petatlán, the Public Prosecutor's Office states that it has opened an “investigative file against the person or persons responsible for the crime of intentional homicide with firearms to the detriment of five male persons”. In Chilapa, “an investigation file has been opened against the person or persons responsible for the crime of qualified homicide with firearms to the detriment of Ángela “N”, Mercedes “N” and Ofelia “N”.
There is not much more data on either case. Regarding the Palenque massacre, it is known that the attack took place at night during the fighting when the venue was full. Armed men entered the town and mowed down those present. It is not known whether the criminals attacked some of them directly or whether the attack was indiscriminate. Palenques are betting venues and in some fights brokers move large amounts of money.
Given Guerrero's recent history, the attack could have been some form of extortion. In almost all regions of the state, there are constant complaints about basic fees. Criminals demand their own taxes from businessmen of all professions, from chicken farmers to tortilla makers, and of course in the leisure world, from the bars and nightclubs of Acapulco to the cockfights that are widespread in the region. .
The question is who is demanding the illegal payment of taxes. For months, local authorities have been highlighting the expansion of the criminal group La Familia Michoacana, which is interested in controlling the Petatlán area. Originally from Tierra Caliente, north of this municipality, his brand now appears to be associated with crime in this area of the Costa Grande. In August, suspected members of this group murdered the previously suspected local crime leader Chano Arreola, the leader of the Los Arreola group of the same name.
The Michoacana family is also said to be behind the massacre in the mountains on Thursday. Then criminals allegedly linked to this group murdered at least five people, residents of the municipality of Buenavista de los Hurtado in the municipality of Heliodoro Rodríguez, an alleged stronghold of another enemy criminal group, Los Tlacos.
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