A hitman linked to the CJNG attacked the mayor of Uruapan, who had arrested the group’s leader in August. The state government’s neglect of security issues, under Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, is causing unease at the National Palace, according to sources consulted by EL PAÍS.
The shadow of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) looms over the assassination of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, who was shot to death this Saturday in the municipality during the Day of the Dead celebrations. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the attack was ordered by the group, which suffered a blow in August when local police captured its leader, René Belmonte, alias Rino, in an operation. According to a source close to Manzo, consulted by EL PAÍS and familiar with regional politics, Rino was a subordinate of the Álvarez Ayala brothers, Ramón and Rafael, alias R-1 and R-2, who hold top positions in the CJNG cartel and are also linked to past PRD administrations in the state.
Another source consulted by this newspaper, familiar with the political situation and the violence plaguing Michoacán, confirms that the gunman, a young man between 17 and 19 years old, who was killed immediately after shooting Manzo, was connected to the CJNG. The weapon he used, the source explains, had been used in other crimes linked to the criminal group. This source also indicates that within the federal government, led by Claudia Sheinbaum of the Morena party, there is some unease with the governor of Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, also a member of Morena, regarding the situation in the state, attributed, at least in part, to the governor’s neglect of the conflicts plaguing the region.
Images of the assailant were released by the Michoacán Attorney General’s Office this Monday.
The situation in Uruapan, one of Michoacán’s most important municipalities, with 350,000 inhabitants and the heart of the region’s avocado industry, has worsened in recent months. The source mentioned in the first paragraph indicates that El Rino was in charge of the CJNG’s extortion scheme in the area, primarily targeting small and medium-sized farmers, who are unable to afford security and protection equipment, unlike the large producers in the region. “All the violence erupted after this man’s arrest. He’s a highly dangerous individual,” he explains.
Manzo himself requested support from the federal and state governments after the capture of this alleged criminal. In fact, on the very day of the arrest, August 27, he posted a video on his social media accounts, urging residents to stay home because, he said, gunmen from the group were preparing to enter the municipality. In the following weeks, violence escalated in Uruapan, with attacks even targeting local police officers. After the murder of an officer on August 14, Manzo met with state authorities to seek assistance in combating crime.
The second source consulted affirms that the federal government has done its part with the massive deployment of agents from various security forces in Michoacán, one of the states receiving the most support in this area. However, the governor “is distracted,” the source indicates. While homicide rates in Michoacán have been trending downward, as demonstrated by data from the federal Ministry of Security itself, Sheinbaum’s administration observes a stagnation. Unlike other governors who have prioritized security, personally attending Cabinet meetings where the issue is addressed daily, Ramírez Bedolla “lacks commitment,” the source summarizes, adding that the governor has been more preoccupied with personal matters and travel than with resolving the problem of violence.
A prime example is how the hitman breached the security cordon surrounding Manzo. Although his security detail consisted of more National Guard troops than local police officers, the coordination of this group fell under the state authority. “Federal support is the second line of defense; the governor should always be the guiding force,” the source emphasizes. Another factor that contributed to the murder, he explains, is the profile of the officials chosen by the governor to take charge of state security. Since he took office in October 2021, there have been many changes in the ministries of Government, Security, and the Attorney General’s Office in short periods of time.
The gunman, for his part, embarked on a mission where, from the outset, the chances of escaping unscathed were nonexistent. “It was a situation where you’re either arrested or killed, there’s no other option, and you know it,” the same source points out. Despite the hitman’s young age, it’s not assumed he was inexperienced, since penetrating Manzo’s security detail at such a crowded event required careful surveillance and precise timing for the attack.
The assassin’s close ties to the CJNG faction run by the Álvarez Ayala brothers illustrate the ills of regional politics. Another of the brothers, Roldán, was mayor of Apatzingán a little over 20 years ago with the leftist PRD party, now practically defunct. The politician was close to former governors Leonel Godoy (PRD), now with Morena, and Lázaro Cárdenas, formerly with the PRD and now also with the Morena party. In recent years, Roldán, accused of extortion, ran for a federal deputy nomination with the Morena party, which he ultimately lost.
The legal proceedings against the CJNG brothers, Ramón and Rafael, also highlight the problems with the country’s justice system. Arrested in 2012 and convicted four years later, Ramón was featured in one of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conferences in 2022. At that time, the Undersecretary of Security, Ricardo Mejía, reported that R1 had been acquitted in five criminal cases, thanks to the decisions of different judges. These rulings secured R1’s release, prompting criticism from López Obrador.
The future looks bleak in Uruapan. The federal government assumes that Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, will replace him as mayor on an interim basis. The replacement is urgent so that at least the administrative matters of the mayor’s office can be addressed, which would help alleviate the social pressure following the mayor’s assassination. One of his brothers, Juan Manzo, is currently the Secretary of Government for Ramírez Bedolla, which complicates his path to taking the reins of Uruapan, as it would signal a rift within the Morena governor’s inner circle. Sources consulted maintain the official version that, regardless of the legitimate social protests, representatives of the PRI and PAN parties have interfered in the demonstrations to destabilize Ramírez Bedolla and Sheinbaum.
Source: elpais
