The massacre at the “Los Cantaritos” bar in Querétaro has exposed the vulnerability of Mexico’s so-called “sanctuary cities,” according to journalist Óscar Balderas.
Breaking the Bubble of Security
The November 9 massacre at “Los Cantaritos” bar in Querétaro, where 10 people were killed, marked a turning point in the state’s perception of security. It shattered the illusion of “sanctuary cities,” which were considered safe due to their strategic location, social stability, or modern infrastructure.
Querétaro, Aguascalientes, and Mérida have long been regarded as the last “sanctuary cities” in Mexico. However, recent events have shown that this apparent peace is crumbling due to the expansion and confrontation between criminal groups.
Organized Crime’s Advance
In a conversation with Ricardo Raphael for adn40, journalist Óscar Balderas analyzed the advance of organized crime in these traditionally safe cities. He warned that the expansion of groups such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is transforming these regions into scenes of violence, altering local security and economic dynamics.
Querétaro and Aguascalientes: Territorial Disputes
According to Balderas, the growth of the CJNG and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) has generated a territorial dispute in Querétaro and Aguascalientes. These groups have been displaced from Guanajuato due to the “cockroach effect,” where criminal groups migrate to new areas after exploiting their original territories.
“In Querétaro, I see a dispute between two groups, the CJNG and the CSRL, which have arrived due to a ‘cockroach effect’ from Guanajuato, which is already overexploited. They are looking for new lands to settle on. In Aguascalientes, I think it’s exactly the same,” Balderas mentioned.
Impact on Local Economy
The change in criminal strategy also affects the local economy. Balderas explained that when there was only one criminal group in a region, they were interested in protecting the local economy as it was their source of income. However, with two or more groups fighting for power, violence and terror have become tools of negotiation.
“Before, criminal groups did not have this predatory spirit. They were part of the gears of an economy that had to be permanently active for their criminal enterprise, the drug cartel, to be successful,” he said, citing the Sinaloa Cartel’s former dominance in Chiapas.
Today, with multiple groups vying for control, negotiations with local, municipal, or state authorities are based on violence. “You have to negotiate with me and not with the other because I am more violent. If you don’t negotiate with me, I will leave you 10 bodies. If you negotiate with group ‘A,’ they leave you 5 bodies, I leave you 20,” Balderas explained.
This transformation has resulted in an escalation of violence, as demonstrated by the recent discovery of a murdered businessman in an industrial park in Aguascalientes, a place where such events are uncommon.
Mérida: A Different Dynamic
In Mérida, the criminal phenomenon is focused mainly on the trafficking of synthetic drugs, such as methamphetamines. This drug has become an extremely lucrative market for groups like the CJNG.
Balderas stressed that local authorities have recognized the growing importance of this substance in the region, attracting key figures in organized crime. A significant event highlighting the cartels’ presence occurred last August when Aldrin Miguel Jarquín Jarquín, alias “El Chaparrito,” one of the men closest to ‘El Mencho,’ was arrested in Mérida.
“El Chaparrito” was identified as one of the most prominent leaders of the CJNG, especially for his operations in the port of Manzanillo. His arrest marked a significant blow to the criminal organization in Mexico.
This arrest highlighted how “sanctuary” cities are being used as bases of operations for criminal bosses. However, their presence is also fueling violence in the region, breaking the perception of peace.
Source: Infobae
