Mexico City, Dec 18 (EFE).- Mexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador said on Monday that the massacre of 12 young people early Sunday morning in Guanajuato, central Mexico, was linked to a “structural problem” in the region caused by increased drug use.<\/p>
“Guanajuato needs special attention. There is a deep structural problem, something that has been allowed to grow because of different circumstances. It is one of the areas with the highest drug consumption in the country,” the president said.<\/p>
Four organized crime groups, or cartels, fight over the state of Guanajuato: the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, and two factions of the Gulf Cartel.<\/p>
Early Sunday morning, 12 people were killed in an armed attack on a traditional “posada” gathering to celebrate the approach of Christmas.<\/p>
The massacre occurred at the former Hacienda San Jos\u00e9 del Carmen, a social venue located eight kilometers from the municipal capital of Salvatierra.<\/p>
Local authorities reported that 12 others were wounded, 4 women and 8 men, all of whom were hospitalized, and that two cars and two motorcycles were set on fire.<\/p>
L\u00f3pez Obrador said Monday that he still did not have all the information about what happened because it was a matter for the government and the Guanajuato state attorney general’s office, but he offered the help of federal authorities.<\/p>
“It is very unfortunate what happened, and of course our sincere condolences go out to the families of the young people who lost their lives. It is a heinous crime, they were in a “posada” and were murdered, this is what is known so far and we will provide more information,” concluded the president.<\/p>
Since 2018, Guanajuato has annually concentrated the highest number of intentional homicides in Mexico.<\/p>
This year, between January and November, the National Public Security System determined that 2,875 people were murdered in the state, while nationally the number of victims is 27,354. <\/p>
Salvatierra, of 95,000 inhabitants, is a tourist community in Guanajuato that in 2020 attracted international attention after the discovery of a grave with 66 bodies linked to organized crime.EFE <\/p>
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