The Municipality of Pénjamo, in the state of Guanajuato, is living a never seen before wave of violence. In the last 10 months 87 people have been executed in different situations, according to official data published by AM news website.
The National Executive Secretariat of Public Security (Secretariado Ejecutivo Nacional de Seguridad Pública), which accounts preliminary investigations for each homicide, recorded 87 cases in this territory, from January to September of this year. Each case file may contain more than one homicide investigation.
According to AM news website, 13 murders were committed in this municipality, only during the month of October 2016.
On Tuesday October 11, shortly after 8 am the body of a man dressed as a woman was found at the rural community of “Las Coloradas”, Pénjamo municipality, Gto. (Image: Am.co.mx)
“In this regard, we are looking at a homicide rate of 40 out of every 100 thousand citizens, doubling the national average”, declared Security Analyst Alejandro Hope.
Hope’s article on “El Universal” newspaper states that: “insecurity in Guanajuato is the result of the confrontation between drugs cartels and organized crime groups dedicated to pipeline tapping”.
In that sense, 55 clandestine taps have been located from January to August 2016, along the Pénjamo municipality.
In recent weeks, several train lootings have been registered in different parts of the state of Guanajuato, . (Image: Google)
On March 2016, the Municipal Government of Pénjamo decided to make a radical change in security, as Mayor Juan Jose Garcia Lopez gave control and command to the State Secretary of Public Security, led by Alvar Cabeza de Vaca.
Despite these measures, during the last three months, Pénjamo has lived the most violent crime wave in its history.
In recent months, most of intentional homicides have been committed in communities, neighboring to La Piedad, Michoacán, such as: “Santa Ana Pacueco”, “La Estrella”, “Estación La Piedad”, “Laguna Larga”, “La Maraña” and “Colonia Independencia.
On August 11, Electronic explosive device confiscated near Pénjamo, Guanajuato (Image: Excelsior.com.mx).
The most violent month was September, 2016 with 18 people killed by gunshot or stabbed. Additionally, bodies have been found decapitated or dismembered.
But, the most violent day was Friday, October 28th, when three men were killed in a drive by shooting; a salesman was shot in the head, and the dismembered bodies of a man and woman were found inside six black plastic bags next to the Pénjamo-La Piedad highway.
Homicides’ Data from Executive Secretariat of Public Security:
- 2011: 58 Homicides
- 2012: 64 Homicides
- 2013: 95 Homicides
- 2014: 92 Homicides
- 2015: 101 Homicides
- From January to September, 2016: 87 Homicides
2016 (per month):
- January: 10 Homicides
- February: 14 Homicides
- March: 5 Homicides
- April: 7 Homicides
- May: 9 Homicides
- June: 12 Homicides
- July: 4 Homicides
- August: 11 Homicides
- September: 15 Homicides
- October: 13 Homicides
Source: https://www.am.com.mx/
