Violence intensifies in Zacatecas, Mexico

Zacatecas is experiencing a wave of violence, what do the authorities say?

3:43

(CNN Spanish) ––

Violence shook the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, this weekend with different events such as the murder of a judge, the attempted escape from a state prison and blockades on avenues, which put the authorities on alert. federal authorities.

The wave of violence occurred after the assassination of Josué Urzua Padilla, in charge of the National Guard in that state, located in central Mexico, on November 24.

On Saturday, a group of armed men attacked control judge Roberto Elías Martínez in the municipality of Guadalupe.

The judge passed away on Sunday.

Arturo Nahle García, president of the Zacatecas Superior Court of Justice, said that it is investigating whether the murder is linked to the judicial work of the victim.

"We have been reviewing the issues that he was attending to lately during the day, to see if the aggression was related to any of the cases he was attending to and we have not found any that we consider could have been the motive at this time," said Nahle.

• Prosecutor's Office investigates the discovery of seven bodies "tied hand and foot" in a house in Zacatecas

The governor of Zacatecas, David Monreal, condemned the murder and asked the Zacatecas Prosecutor's Office to do justice.

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In an event without apparent connection, on Sunday there was a riot and an attempted escape from the Cieneguillas Regional Center for Social Reintegration of Men, located in the capital of Zacatecas.

In addition, there were blockades on avenues that connect Zacatecas with other Mexican states.

Although authorities thwarted the escape attempt, the presence of armed civilians and metal objects to puncture tires as well as burning vehicles on the streets caused panic among residents.

Trailer driver Martín García told CNN that the roads in Zacatecas are "impassable" due to the risk of being a victim of criminals.

"They brought down a family with threats with long weapons and mine did not catch fire and they brought me down with long weapons," he said.

The Secretary of Public Security of Zacatecas, Adolfo Marín Marín, said that there were no deaths from these events.

He explained that they were criminal actions in response to the operation that stopped the escape in a state prison.

“It is a group from Sinaloa that was trying to escape, escape.

But fortunately we managed to stop, we achieved control and everything is controlled so far, ”he added.

In a video posted on official social networks this Sunday, Marín pointed out that there is an overcrowding problem in the Cieneguillas prison and that the facilities of this prison are in "very poor condition."

For his part, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said during his morning press conference on Monday that there are already better results in terms of security in Zacatecas with the implementation of a plan that includes collaboration between the Armed Forces and state security institutions. .

“We already have better results than it was because of the plan that has been applied, it has not been in vain.

However, more work is still needed and we are going to continue doing it,” said López Obrador.

However, various social sectors take their precautions.

In a statement, the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) urged those who provide federal cargo services to suspend all activity in Zacatecas until "tranquility" returns to that state.

Among the highways affected by this wave of violence are the Fresnillo-Zacatecas highway;

and those that connect Zacatecas with Durango, Coahuila, Aguascalientes and Jalisco.

The Secretary General of the Government of Zacatecas, Gabriela Pineda, reported on her Twitter account that the authorities managed to regain control of the Cieneguillas prison.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of the Government of Mexico, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, confirmed that measures are being taken in that prison.

“Highly dangerous inmates from the different criminal groups that exist in the region have been transferred,” she said.

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