Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, was killed Feb. 22. “El Mencho,” the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was shot in a U.S. intelligence-aided Mexican military operation. Soon after his death, violence erupted in over 20 Mexican states. In retaliation and honor of their leader’s death, many gang members burned businesses, created blockades in city streets, threw spikes and nails on the tarmacs of airports, and torched vehicles. In consequence of these attacks, dozens have died, and many tourists are left stranded. The U.S. State Department has advised American nationals to “shelter in place” in certain areas until the violence dies down. Around 300 visitors were stuck at Puerto Vallarta’s airport after flights were canceled due to these events.
The U.S.State Department lifted the shelter-in-place order for Americans in Mexico on Feb. 25. The conditions have “returned to normal” after days of unrest and violence following the death of “El Mencho.” Flight schedules are operating normally again, and airlines have added extra service to Puerto Vallarta after this week’s travel disruptions. While everything has seemingly gone back to “normal” for tourists and American travelers, there is not a lot of discussion about how the cartel violence affects the people of Mexico. Claiming that everything is “back to normal” can overlook the lived experiences of Mexican citizens. For years, “normal” in some regions in Mexico has been constant violence due to cartel presence. Commentators unintentionally minimize the high levels of violence that have been embedded in Mexican citizens’ daily lives.
The violence that occurred this last weekend was a harsh reminder to the people who call Mexico their home. The death of “El Mencho” and the uproar caused by his death can be compared to the violence that occurred in Sinaloa, Mexico, back in 2019, when Ovidio Guzman Lopez, “El Chapo,” another infamous drug lord, was captured. Cartel on cartel violence has perpetuated crime-related violence. By 2016, drug-related homicides had increased by 22%, with more than 20,000 killed. In 2017, a mass grave was uncovered with the remains of 250 victims of crime-related violence in Veracruz State. In 2018, the number increased to a peak of 33,341 homicides due to crime-related violence. From 2017-2020, a journalist was killed every week on average. Cartels have consolidated and expanded their control, battling each other with sophisticated weaponry and drones. The people of Mexico have to endure kidnappings, killings and the targeting of journalists who want to write about what is happening. While the state of Mexico has struggled to serve justice to those affected by cartel violence.
The cartels have demonstrated their intimidation of the people of Mexico. They display mutilated bodies for them to see, burnt down buildings and cars, and other violent crimes to instill fear and show how much power they hold. So while tourists and American travelers get to return home to escape the violence, this is the reality that those who live in Mexico face daily.
