The violence in Guanajuato is relentless. In his column “En Tercer Persona,” published this Thursday with the title “Blood continues to flow on the sidewalks,” journalist Héctor de Mauleón describes with brutal clarity the massacre that occurred on the night of Tuesday, June 24, during a patron saint festival in Irapuato, where 12 people were killed and at least 20 more were injured.
The attack was perpetrated by armed men who burst in while the San Cristóbal Band was playing. The sound of gunfire was mistaken by attendees for fireworks. In a matter of seconds, chaos took over the celebration. The screams, the stampede, the hysteria, and the blood marked another day of horror in the most violent region in the country.
The attack was captured in a live broadcast on Facebook, becoming a direct testimony to the tragedy. Among the injured were the daughter and granddaughter of the band’s leader, and one of the musicians died at the scene.
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The massacre, the 17th so far this year in Guanajuato, appears to be directly related to the bloody dispute between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which are engaged in an ongoing war in the region.
Intelligence reports indicated that among those present was a CJNG operative known as “El Maracas,” which could have motivated the attack. The local Prosecutor’s Office found more than 60 spent shell casings, and neighbors reported that ambulances took hours to arrive.
President Claudia Sheinbaum declared in a morning press conference that it was “a confrontation,” although images reveal families dancing, children present, and people sitting together.
Guanajuato: A State at War
De Mauleón recalls that this attack follows other recent bloody events in the same region. On June 17, in the community of Aldama, there was another armed attack; on March 13, three decapitated bodies were found under a bridge; on February 19, a shootout at a wake left two dead and 13 wounded. On March 16, a youth gathering in San José de Mendoza ended with eight dead and six wounded, including minors.
The constant: more than 60 shell casings collected, collateral damage, and the National Guard always arriving later.
“Meanwhile, in the back-and-forth settling of scores, blood continues to flow on the sidewalks in Guanajuato,” concludes De Mauleón.
Source: infobae
