One year into the administration of Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, the government finds itself at a crossroads. On November 1st, the Day of the Dead, the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán was assassinated in the main square during the candlelit vigils in honor of the deceased. He was killed in front of his young children and family, in front of the entire community celebrating in this beautiful colonial city of rivers, aquifers and aqueducts reminiscent of the Roman aqueducts of Segovia, Spain.
The mayor, a thorn in the government’s side, was Carlos Manzo, with his independent movement known as the "Sombreros" (Hats). He was the most beloved and the most popular, the one who most vehemently denounced the indifference and neglect of federal authorities. In the mountains surrounding this municipality, the cartels and criminal networks continued to besiege, terrorize, murder and extort the 400,000 inhabitants.
For months, Manzo had been asking for reinforcements, warning that the cartels wanted to kill him. Manzo even took the risk of naming the cartels. But Claudia Sheinbaum and Security Minister Omar García never responded. While crime took over the streets, Claudia Sheinbaum's government spoke about social programs.
Carlos Manzo’s brother, Juan Daniel, is deputy secretary of the interior for the state of Michoacan. In an interview with NPR’s Eyder Peralta, Juan Daniel said that organized crime in Mexico is a monster, with tentacles that reach across borders and into every crevice, from government to business.
This marks the 11th assassination of a mayor in Mexico. And perhaps there are 12 because that same night another mayor came out to defiantly denounce the murder of Manzo, and to this day he has not been seen.
Many now suspect that the lack of action in stopping the cartels is based in government collusion or other corruption. The most serious cases of corruption have been denounced in recent weeks, which are cases Claudia Sheinbaum has tried to avoid. The cases involve high-ranking officials in her own government and political party, as well as the sons of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, her own mentor, and leaders of his political faction.
Between 80 and 100 murders are reported every day. Homicides, violent deaths. The media reports that never before has the country experienced such a brutal reality.
Local media denounce the shortcomings of what they see as a failed state, institutional breakdown and a crisis of violence, even though the government makes efforts to create the impression that homicides have decreased. There is increasing talk of collusion between the government and cartels, given the "hugs, not bullets" policy, which never condemns organized crime.
Although Sheinbaum should govern all Mexicans, at present she divides them: left versus right, the opposition versus conservatives — they create polarization. The government seems to want citizens to remain silent.
As for the murder of Carlos Manzo, there are no condolences and no expressions of outrage from Governor Bedolla of the state of Michoacán. Young people in the media and on social networks are asking: Where is the governor? Where is the prosecutor?
The renowned journalist Anabel Hernández now points to what she calls a narco-state, and an authoritarian and repressive government.
Since the first of the month, the state of Michoacán has been ablaze with protests. People are demanding action. Protests have also taken place at the Michoacán state government palace, but were brutally repressed by the state government. Then protestors set fire to the government palace.
A climate of uncertainty is palpable throughout the country, accompanied by anger at the government.
The government seems unconcerned with efficiency, security, and the quality of public policy. Young people are heard commenting on social media that the government seems generally indifferent to the problems plaguing the country.
Some media outlets point to the skeleton and death of the Day of the Dead festivities as a warning to the public.
The digital publication Revista Etcétera spoke of Carlos Manzo as the only person who dared to break with political correctness in order to tell the truth. Before his death, Manzo told local media: “I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have had their lives taken from them. I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage.”
Sheinbaum has actually announced that she will not declare war on the cartels. She is not willing to use the force of the State to combat the gangs and drug cartels plaguing the country.
Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez dissented strongly: “Who else is going to raise their voice?” she asked. “Well, all the people of Mexico. We are all angry. There are many of us raising our voices. And we are going to continue working on the security issue.”
