Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Video Credit: CEN/@ContrapesoC
This is the moment suspected members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel instruct residents to throw out another cartel leader from their city in order to have peace.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) threatened Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, better known as ‘El Abuelo’, who was the former leader of a self-defence group in the city of Tepalcatepec in the south-western Mexican state of Michoacan, according to local media.
The CJNG is reportedly headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka ‘El Mencho’, and it is not the first video message they have sent to the people of Tepalcatepec.
In the video posted on social media, an unnamed man is seen accompanied by a number of masked guerrillas in military uniform and brandishing weapons.
The apparent leader assures residents that the war is not against the people of Tepalcatepec, but is against ‘El Abuelo’ and his organised group.
He says: “Through this statement, we want to clarify on behalf of Mr. ‘Mencho’ and his cartel which is the CJNG that the confrontation is not with the citizens of Tepacaltepec, but with ‘El Abuelo’ and his cartel.
“The confrontation is not with the town or citizens and to keep it like that, you must throw out ‘El Abuelo’ and his cartel from Tepalcatepec and then you can be calm in the town.”
The last part of the message, reportedly addressed to the Mexican government, says: “If you want this war to finish, remove ‘El Abuelo’ and his cartel from Tepalcatepec and then you will see peace return to this town.”
On 30th August, CJNG gunmen reportedly entered Tepalcatepec looking for ‘El Abuelo’. The confrontation lasted for about four hours and ended with nine dead and 11 injured, according to local media.
According to the local media, the confrontation between the CJNG and ‘El Abuelo’ started when he defended a person known as Poncho de Los Reyes who was training self-defence groups, however the exact motive for the confrontation is unclear.
In 2009, Poncho de Los Reyes was identified by the prosecutors as the deputy head of the Cartel Valencia.
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