24 hours of violence in Acapulco, Veracruz leaves 17 dead

Despite the fact that both of these coastal resort cities have heavy concentrations of federal and state law enforcement authorities, violence and executions continue. Eleven bodies were found in different locations of Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, and six in Veracruz and its environs. The separate incidents occurred from Thursday night through Friday (October 13-14).

In September, Veracruz experienced an unprecedented surge of violence, with over 80 execution victims being dumped by drug gangs, some in public locations and in broad daylight. Authorities attribute those events to a war between the rival Los Zetas and Los Matazetas, and sent in federal troops a week ago. In Guerrero, extortion threats received by school teachers coupled with the ordinary daily diet of narcoviolence also prompted the government to send in federal reinforcements.

At Mexico's national Dialog for Peace yesterday (see post just below), president Felipe Calderón said that Veracruz had been "left in the hands" of Los Zetas. He implied that local officials bear part of the blame. Last week its chief prosecutor abruptly resigned (http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/do-nothing-prosecutor-of-veracruz.html). The governor of Veracruz has continued to deny the seriousness of the problem presented by warring cartels in the region (http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/make-believe-world-of-veracruz-governor.html), and has suggested that last month's mass dumping of bodies in the city represents little more than criminals killed by criminals.