Jesuit priests ask López Obrador to review security strategy

In a face-to-face mass celebrated for the death of the Jesuit priests Javier Campos Morales and Joaquín César Mora Salazar, religious of that congregation asked this Saturday the president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorreview their security strategy and pointed out that the country is invaded by violence.

“I respectfully ask, we ask, Mr. President of the Republic, to review your public security project, because we are not doing well, and this is popular clamor,” Jesuit priest Javier Ávila, a community leader in Cerocahui, Chihuahua, said during the mass.

Look: A single hitman murders 8 people before being killed in Mexico

“This unfortunate event is not isolated in our country, a country invaded by violence and impunity, our tone is peaceful but loud and clear”he added.

Avila also noted that “Hugs are no longer enough to cover the bullets”in a clear reference to the phrase that Lopez Obrador coined to deal with crime “hugs not bullets”.

Meanwhile, the representative in Mexico of the Society of Jesus, Luis Gerardo Moro, indicated that “The reality of violence is not going to be resolved just by capturing the leaders of criminal groups.”

The ceremony was held in the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the city of Chihuahua, capital of the state of the same name, in memory of Campos Morales, 79, and Mora Salazar, 80, who tried to help and provide protection Pedro Palma, who entered the church fleeing from armed people, for which they were killed.

After the attack, the bodies were removed from the Francisco Xavier parish in the town of Cerocahui, which caused outrage in Mexican society.

On Thursday, the president Lopez Obrador promised to investigate “thoroughly” the murder of two Jesuit priests and offered a reward for the alleged murderer.

That same Thursday, authorities from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the National Guard and the Mexican Army apprehended, in the municipality of Urique, César Iván PP, who was identified as the cousin of José Noriel Portillo Gil, known as El Chueco, and who is related to the murders of the Jesuit priests and the tour guide.

The events are part of a wave of violence that Mexico is experiencing, since there is a record of 33,316 homicides so far this year, after the two most violent years in its history, with 34,688 murder victims in 2019 and 34,554 in 2020.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), the perception of insecurity among Mexicans increased from 65.8% in December 2021 to 66.2% last March.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.