Mexican Protesters Light Candles
(Photo : Reuters)

The citizens' mouths were just left open as they perceived the truth that their beloved conservative industrial heartland state of Guanajuato is now also a target for cartel violence. As gang wars start to prosper in the state it has left a lot of fear in the people. 

As the state becomes a pleasing war ground for Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the majority of crimes are also increasing which leaves the safety of the towns people in doubt. 

As the year adds up to date, the rise of homicides are also adding up from the five percent of Mexico's population, suffered 20 percent of its homicides and in year 2019 the state increasingly had a homicide rate of about 61 per 100,000 residents. 

Sofia Huett, the head of the state's security commission defends the current situation as she says that "sometimes people confuse the violence with a lack of public safety in Guanajuato, and in fact they are two different things."

Huett also expounds that the killers from the Guanajuato street side incident were not killing out of robberies but it had deeper reasons-reasons that only the gang members and leaders will only understand. She also added that the muggings in their state is also the lowest percentage of their nation. Huett, also believes that in 10 criminals only 2 of them were from Guanajuato and the rest were not from their state.

Ricardo Ortiz, mayor of the city of Irapuato also sent his sympathy for the ones who were found dead but he strongly believed that the state cannot protect the people who are doing bad things. 

Moises Guerrero, mayor of Apaseo El Grande also added that the dilemma between citizens and investors as he refers to targeted killings by cartel gunmen are not just plain crime but the death were purposely made and the killers were after for the person that they want to kill. 

80 activists who had formed a group namely "Looking for you" also are now asking for justice as their relatives were never found up to date. Wives of the deceased husbands named Alondra Mora and Maria Guadalupe Gallardo are seeking for the truth and justice.

Mora's husband was dragged from his taxi, not only Mora's husband disappeared but also their entire bank savings. She also points out that even innocents and not gang members are getting killed by armed men due to discrimination. 

Juan Carlos Medina Serrano, the husband of Maria Guadalupe Gallardo was found 2 months after with 19 other rotting bodies, his body was torn down to pieces and was only identified by genetic testing.  

Maria Guadalupe Gallardo exclaimed that her husband was never a criminal and he only sold things for a living. She further added that the authorities must put a stop to the circulating violence around their state and if the authorities won't take action, the killings will go through and more deceased bodies will be recovered. 

The Gov. Diego Sinhue also explains that Guanajuato is not like the Sinaloa the state that became popular because of the drug cartel of the same name. But the two had similarities because Guanajuato also had a home grown gang, the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel.

Huett the security commissioner, said that unlike the other state Guanajuato has no road blockades by protest groups or criminals, and in the end that is still appealing for business.

After the death of her husband between late 2019 and early 2020, together with a police chief, a town councilman and a police officer, Mayor Maria del Carmen Ortiz took the leading candidate to fill the office.