70 cases of murder in less than 10 months, have been officially registered in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende.
On July 26, at 8:00 a.m., municipal police officers demonstrated peacefully in the offices of the town hall’s administrative building to demand a change in the security strategy; The fact was reported by local digital news media.
The organization More Security in San Miguel de Allende, made up of foreign permanent residents living in the municipality, has documented that from October to date, during the administration of mayor Luis Alberto Villareal García, 70 violent murders have been committed, including that of a teenage girl who apparently died in crossfire last month.
Stats show that an increase in the number of home robbery, vehicle theft, assault and murder cases, however, municipal authorities always say that the incidents are “drug cartel related violence”, and in most of these cases, no arrests are made whatsoever.
Bajío Telediario editorial explains that following the clashes of federal forces with huachicoleros in the municipality of Villagrán, criminals dispersed to neighboring municipalities such as San Miguel de Allende, which is just a one hour drive away from the community of Santa Rosa de Lima. This is commonly known in Mexico as the “cockroach effect” (efecto cucaracha).
San Miguel’s Chief of Police, General Rolando Eugenio Hidalgo Eddy (recognized as one of the law enforcement agents that most actively persecuted Joaquín Guzmán Loera, “El Chapo”), is expected to make a statement on the issue of security.
San Miguel Times Newsroom