Morelia bars in the crosshairs: fires, shootings and murders

A shooting broke out in a bar on Enrique Ramirez Avenue in Morelia
Photography
Martha Dalay Tejera
Morelia, Michoacán. – In the early hours of Sunday, a shooting broke out in a bar on Enrique Ramirez Avenue in Morelia, leaving a valet parking worker injured; the incident occurred at 3 a.m., and was captured on video that showed people running for shelter inside the Level bar due to gunfire.
Criminal acts have become more notorious in crowded places in the city, such as bars, restaurants and shopping malls. Some of these acts appear to be settling scores, as indicated by municipal authorities. The struggle for territory in the drug trade has also been cited as a factor behind these incidents, according to Michoacan Prosecutor Adrián López Solís in the case of attacks against bar entrepreneurs.
Insecurity in the state capital has been a constant concern, as revealed by data provided by the Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, a civil organization that seeks to reduce violence and promote public peace. According to their reports, Morelia ranked 34th in the highest homicide rate in the world in 2021 and rose to 33rd place in 2022.

This wave of violence in Morelia has become a topic of national and international attention, with notorious incidents such as the shooting at the Cantina 25 bar in October 2021, which left six dead and was allegedly linked to fights between rival cartels. The governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, acknowledged the existence of 12 criminal groups in the state in a press conference, but did not reveal their names.
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As a frequent result of this type of event, where there are detonations of firearms and pretensions to carry out crimes that end in physical aggression and even death, collective panic and the instinct of protection become notorious among operators and customers.
Despite growing security concerns, municipal authorities have not provided information about the recent murder of a lawyer and his escort in the parking lot of Plaza Las Americas in July 2023. Morelia’s citizen security commissioner and mayor have focused their attention on political disputes and have been criticized for failing to take effective measures to address insecurity in the city.
While Alejandro González Cussi only made a publication on the Instagram social network where he commented “We start a new week working as a team consolidating the security strategy of our Morelia”, for his part, Alfonso Martínez endorses that he has all the necessary security conditions to carry out the next national holidays. Pending that passers-by are not violated in future spaces, such as public squares, the aforementioned speeches are those that the commissioner and the mayor have issued in this regard to endorse their commitment to the safety of citizens.

Original source in Spanish