In Acapulco and throughout Mexico, violence poses a huge test for the new president

A member of the National Guard at police headquarters in Acapulco – Copyright AFP ANWAR Amro

Samir TOUNSI

Gunfire, killings and threats: Insecurity is part of daily life in much of Mexico and one of the biggest challenges Claudia Sheinbaum faces if she becomes president on Tuesday.

A shooting this month in the Pacific resort town of Acapulco left two people injured at a seaside bar. At the end of August, a human head was thrown in front of the establishment.

When contacted about the incident, a bar manager interrupted the questioner.

Locals speculated that he had refused to pay ‘rent’ to either of the two local gangs.

Further away from the coast is the neighborhood of El Progreso, one of the neighborhoods most affected by violence in Acapulco.

A man was murdered in a shoe repair shop a few days ago, a resident said. “It’s a daily occurrence,” he added with a sigh.

“Six murders in Acapulco” was the headline in the El Sur newspaper on September 10.

“That’s a total of 26 crimes this month, believed to be linked to organized crime,” the local newspaper said, without naming the two rival gangs involved in extortion and drugs.

Acapulco, once a playground for the rich and famous, has lost its luster in the past decade as foreign tourists have been spooked by the bloodshed that has made it one of the most violent cities in the world.

The insecurity is not unique to the city in the southern state of Guerrero.

Increasing criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has killed more than 450,000 people in the Latin American country since 2006.

But in the heart of El Progreso, the atmosphere on a recent day was one of celebration at the municipal police headquarters.

Under a scorching sun, Mayor Abelina Lopez Rodriguez handed out new uniforms to officers.

During her speech she made no mention of violence, preferring to talk about end-of-year bonuses.

“Acapulco is a paradise,” she told AFP.

“We must continue to work to create better opportunities for our police officers and for society,” said Lopez Rodriguez, a lawyer by profession.

“Peace is built in the hearts,” she added.

Corruption comes from a different level of government, her entourage explained off camera.

“Of course” municipal police could be infiltrated by gangs, the new head of public security, Eduardo Bailleres Mendoza, told AFP.

He wants officers to undergo random drug tests “to prevent staff from also becoming victims of the use of toxic substances” – and thus becoming susceptible to the influence of organized crime.

A municipal police officer earns only 14,000 pesos ($710) a month, he said.

– Drones and bombs –

On the eve of the Independence Day holiday weekend in mid-September, hoteliers were optimistic.

Tourists will come, they said.

But when the area was in the news recently, it wasn’t good news.

In nearby Coyuca de Benitez, at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains, a candidate was murdered on the eve of the June 2 municipal elections.

About 150 kilometers north of Acapulco, residents of Santa Rosa de Lima said they are living under pressure from the local cartel La Familia Michoacana.

The gang uses drones against communities resisting extortion.

“On April 21 they threw bombs, more than twenty. Several hectares of forest were burned,” said Azucena Rosas Garcia, mountain community leader of San Antonio, Texas.

She showed images that she said were recovered from the memory card of a crashed drone. An investigation was opened months later.

Suddenly, as she spoke, armed men drove by in a red pickup.

They were self-defense militias, explained Victor Espino, a local community leader who said he himself had been arrested by police for having a gun in his possession.

“If it suits them, the law exists. If it doesn’t suit them, they won’t use it,” says the avocado farmer.

“They don’t defend us, and they won’t let us defend them,” he added.

Nearly 200,000 people have been killed in six years under outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who prioritized tackling the root causes of crime – a strategy he calls “hugs, not bullets.”

Newly elected President Sheinbaum, who comes from the same left-wing party, has pledged to continue this approach while improving coordination between security forces and prosecutors.

In the northwestern state of Sinaloa, the cartel battle has left dozens of people dead in recent weeks, underscoring the magnitude of the task Sheinbaum faces.