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| Zirándaro is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero. The recent mayor of this town, Gregorio Portillo Mendoza (pictured), fled two months ago after several death threats. |
For two months, the mayor of Zirandaro, Guerrero, Gregorio Portillo Mendoza, has been living outside of his municipality due to the turf war between the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and La Familia Michoacana (LFM).
"They threatened to kill me and I'm running the government virtually from another town," the mayor said in an interview.
Last March, a group of armed men kidnapped Portillo Mendoza and his two bodyguards who belong to the National Guard (GN). They were released hours later.
The mayor said that the kidnapping was done to send him a message. He said that cartel members did not want him to run for mayor again since he was not willing to collaborate with them.
"They kidnapped me with my bodyguards. They tortured me to force me to not run for office again for a simple reason: cartels are uncomfortable we did not agree to their bribery payments and do not follow their orders", he said.
In addition, he said that these criminal groups were interested in putting someone in his position who would follow their interests. In the elections of June 6, the National Regeneration Party (Morena) candidate Tania Pacheco won the Mayor's Office of Zirándaro, according to the official results of the Electoral Institute of Citizen Participation (IEPC).
"The kidnapping because I registered for re-election. I was told not to participate, to resign", he said.
Most of the towns that have been directly affected by the cartel war are in the mountainous areas in Guerrero. These towns include San Rafael, Los Cimientos, Los Alacranes, La Piedra, Las Juntas and Guacamayas. He also said that only a third of the population has returned to their homes.
It is worth nothing that Portillo Mendoza is the uncle of Rogelio Portillo Jaramillo, the former mayoral candidate of Huetamo, Michoacán.
Portillo Jaramillo was accused by the US Department of Justice and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of cocaine trafficking in Texas since 2006, along with some relatives. They were believed to have ties to the CJNG.
Sources: La Jornada; Reforma; Borderland Beat archives
From my understanding of Mexico's political spectrum is that organized crime has influenced just about every government/ municipal position.
ReplyDeleteTowns and villages are most likely to succumb to criminal hostages of some organized criminals. The deaths & attempts made on political candidates are at all time highs. An uncertain future for democracy is what's transpiring in Mexico.
A cancer of grave proportions where money is the root of all evils.
I know of people who have fled to the US because of threats like this one.
There’s 2 “Familia Michoacana” factions in Guerrero now, one is allied with CJNG. There was a video on Twitter were a cell of F.M are boasting in front of the cámara that in their ranks there is no “Michoacanos”, but are proudly Familia Michoacana. I had heard a rumor about a big name From the state of Guerrero, I believe El Pez joining forces to take part of Guerrero.
ReplyDeleteI believe one would include Pony but I don't remember if he would be with, under or against Pez and than there's also LNFM.
DeleteWhat party is Goyo portillo Mendoza allied with?
DeleteIt does not help that his uncle has the record he has, but goyo is very lucky he was allowed to leave and live, should be grateful.
Probably the brother of Marcelino
ReplyDeleteThis guy was not threatened by CJNG. His primo is a well known Capo for CJNG in Guerrero "Chico Jaramillo" aka El Seriecito (has many corridos after him) .. it must be CU or FM or a show to avoid being linked to CJNG..
ReplyDeleteI think was just a show to try to link him away from a association of a cartel and to get the votes. A cartel would had killed him especially he related directly to known associates of another cartel.
DeleteI don’t understand… Could these municipal representatives (mayors, governors, etc) , along with the families of those assassinated, all come together as a group to the UN to present a case of gross negligence on the behalf of the Mexican government?
ReplyDeleteI mean. That would make a powerful statement and impact on the world of global politics… I imagine the same municipal workers in countries throughout Europe, The UK, and even the US would do the same?
We have YEARS of this occurring, and it’s only getting worse. It is clear the Mexican government is not capable
of protecting their own government officials..
7:49 the OAS, (aka OEA) has tried to get involved on behalf of corrupt gilbertonas and got a bath of their own shitcrap from Mujica, AMLO, Bukele and other solidary countries that understand that AMLO has been in power for just 3 years, the United Nations has been doing the devil's work for too long already, under threats of defunding by several US extreme right governments bent on stealing from the US treasury through wars for profit like the 30 trillion dollars worth of wars on the middle and far east for the last 20 years and the 36 billion worth of war ON drugs over the last 14 years in mexico, add 6 more years of looting through fox...
Delete7:49 you are such a sucker for war and intervention, must be a Gilbertona getting paid by crooks, orale güey, ALV.
Mexico created this fire and chose not to put it out. To all mexican, I know its hard, find a way to rise up. Government from local and higher up are with the cartels. Feel bad for the hard working citizens.
ReplyDeleteLooks to me he arranged a fake kidnap to create sympathy for votes. If cjng and lfm both were not willing to let him go for re-election, maybe he is serving good for the people or he is someone else's payroll. It's hard for a politician in Mexico to be non-aligned to cartels, so more possible he is in some other cartels payroll. More likely it's his own kidnapping drama for political gains. I don't think cartels will leave a guy safely, especially who disagrees their orders on not to run again for election. I don't know if people believe there in Mexico on these dramas. Politicians in my country do this kind of fake kidnapping/assault/attempted murdering to gain votes from public.
ReplyDeleteKathi