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WORLD NEWS Friday 23 OctOber 2020
Cartel battles stun once-peaceful state in central Mexico

By MARK STEVENSON present."
Associated Press The battle has come to re-
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The semble that of Prohibition-
two most powerful drug era Chicago, with gunmen
cartels in the hemisphere shooting up homes or shops
are battling over the in- where rivals are doing busi-
dustrial and farming hub of ness, either in drugs or other
central Mexico — a state contraband.
that has attracted gangs "This type of massacre is at
for the same reason it has locations where drugs or
lured auto manufacturers: stolen fuel is sold," Saucedo
road and rail networks that said. "They will go into a
lead straight to the U.S. bor- store, a warehouse, a tire
der. Guanajuato was long repair shop and kill every-
a relatively tranquil and one, destroy the location,
well-heeled part of Mexico, toss in a hand grenade."
a state famed for colonial The Santa Rosa de Lima
tourist towns such as San gang expanded into drugs
Miguel de Allende, the an- after a start robbing freight
nual Cervantes culture fes- trains and stealing fuel from
tival and sprawling facto- government pipelines — an
ries building cars for the U.S. activity that drew especial-
market. In this Feb. 10, 2020 file photo, National Guard patrol vehicles drive through the central square in ly heavy attention from a
But violence has exploded Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato state, Mexico. government furious at the
over the past decade, and Associated Press loss of revenue.
now life or death can de- town where it originated, per dose. The home gang, ly arrested leader of the With police closing in on
pend on the color of meth- Santa Rosa de Lima. The Santa Rosa de Lima, sells Santa Rosa gang is nick- him in July, Santa Rosa
amphetamines sold on the conflict has intensified since cheaper blue-tinged meth- named "El Azul," or "Blue." cartel leader José Antonio
street: one cartel's blue the local group, weakened amphetamines for $1.40. Both sides also mark the Yépez Ortiz — known as "El
meth versus its rival crystal- by arrests of its leaders, al- "It is a sure sentence of plasticine envelopes with Marro," or "Sledgehammer"
clear drug. lied itself with what has long death" for a dealer to be their brands. Jalisco's may — made a desperate plea
Mexico's sixth most popu- been one of Mexico's most caught with the wrong col- say "CJNG," the group's for an alliance with the
lous state saw over 3,400 powerful cartels, Sinaloa, or of meth, said Guanajua- initials, or "Grupo Elite," or Sinaloa cartel to fend off
homicides in the first nine which had been alarmed to-based security analyst have a drawing of a skull the Jalisco group, currently
months of this year, more by the Jalisco cartel's rise. David Saucedo. "It is almost with a bayonet and a pis- Mexico's fastest growing
than any other state in the And much of that struggle like a script ... the massa- tol. Santa Rosa's symbol is and most violent criminal
country. is for control of the market cres of street dealers. They a triangle, with a skull and organization.
It has also suffered the for methamphetamines — will attack funerals, where two sledgehammers, a ref- Jalisco already has rolled
deaths of more police offi- both routes to the United the (deceased) relative erence to the nickname of into at least 20 states, some-
cers in the line of duty than States and locally, where had some kind of links to another arrested leader. times posting online videos
any other Mexican state. the color of the meth or the another gang." Sophia Huett, the Gua- showing columns of heavily
Much of the bloodshed is markings on the package It is unclear whether the najuato security commis- armed fighters with home-
due to a clash between in an addict's pocket may distinct colors are a result sioner, said those markings made armored vehicles
the rising Jalisco New Gen- determine whether he lives of different production pro- may matter most. "It is a and issuing vague and of-
eration Cartel based in a or dies. cesses, or if the colors are brand concept based on ten unmet promises not to
neighboring state and a The Jalisco Cartel sells intentional; it may be no the label, more than the kidnap or extort protection
local gang named for the crystal-clear meth at $2.30 coincidence that a recent- color, which isn't always payments from civilians.q

Cuba says U.S. sanctions have caused nearly $5.6B in losses

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Rodríguez said. He said Rodríguez said.
Associated Press the political hostility has Trump recently added to
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba said reached "feverish levels." the sanctions by barring
Thursday that the island The $5.6 billion loss oc- U.S. travelers to Cuba from
has lost nearly $5.6 billion in curred between April 2019 bringing back Cuban ci-
one year as a result of eco- and March 2020, com- gars and rum or staying in
nomic sanctions imposed pared with $4.3 billion the government-owned hotels
by U.S. President Donald previous year. here as he courts the Cu-
Trump. The sanctions, coupled ban-American vote in Flor-
Cuban Foreign Minister with a sluggish economy, ida ahead of the election.
Bruno Rodríguez decried the pandemic and increas- Trump said the sanctions
what he said was a grow- ingly active hurricane sea- would remain in place until
ing number of sanctions sons, has led to a growing Cuba releases all political
suffocating the island, a shortage of food and oc- prisoners, legalizes political
topic that is on the agenda casional fuel scarcity on parties, holds free elections
for next year's U.N. General the island. and respects the rights to
Assembly session. "It's cynical to express sup- free assembly and expres-
The blockade "is an in- posed concern that this sion. Fishermen sit in the shade as the "Carmita" cargo ship, flying
creasingly cruel attempt to policy affects only some Cuba has rejected any in- a Panamanian flag, navigates the bay of Havana, Cuba,
deprive our people of ba- Cubans, but it's even more terference into the coun- Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020.
sic goods for their survival," cynical to try and justify it," try's affairs.q Associated Press