The violence seems to have no limit in Mexico, where nine people were killed in two attacks perpetrated by assassins during the funeral of a man who had been killed days before.
The incident occurred in Ciudad Juárez, in northern Mexico, and according to the prosecutor’s office in the state of Chihuahua, bordering the United States, the victims include six adult men, two women and a 12-year-old boy, while two people more were injured.
According to the local press, the first of the events occurred when relatives and neighbors were at the funeral in the Luis Echeverría neighborhood, on Friday night. At that moment an armed group arrived and opened fireleaving two women dead, while a third man died while being taken to hospital.
Later, around noon this Saturday, the wake was moved to a church in the 16 de Septiembre neighborhood, and the gunmen arrived there again and shot the attendees.
Relatives of the victims were heartbroken after the crimes in Ciudad Juárez. REUTERS
Four of those who attended the funeral ceremony died in the religious compound, while two more perished in medical centers, including a 12-year-old boy.
“The corresponding investigations have already begun (…) experts are analyzing the evidence collected to clarify the facts,” Sahira Castro, spokeswoman for the state prosecutor’s office, told the press.
Ciudad Juárez, bordering El Paso, Texas, has been for years one of the most dangerous in the world due to disputes between criminal groups for control of drug routes.
In 2019 it ranked second with a total of 1,522 homicides. By 2020, it fell to third place as the homicide rate was reduced, but not the number, as it rose to 1,577. Last year, more than 1,400 murders were recorded in Ciudad Juárez.
In mid-2021, the National Public Security System reported that Juárez was second in the nation in terms of violence due to the number of murders committed every day, being below Tijuana.
On January 13, ten fires were recorded in that city that were caused by members of organized crime, although no criminal gang claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Ciudad Juárez is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Last year more than 1,400 murders were recorded. Photo: REUTERS
Since December 2006, when the government of then President Felipe Calderón launched a controversial anti-drug strategy with the participation of military forces, Mexico has registered more than 340,000 murders, according to official figures.
Most of these crimes are linked to organized crime, according to the Mexican government.
With information from agencies