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WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 9 February 2016

Pope’s visit to violent Mexican city highlights broader ills

A banner hanging at the entrance to a gated low-income hous- said Guadalupe Reyes, pant gangland killings, ex- in Desde la Fe, a weekly
ing development warns: “Thief! If we catch you we will lynch Yanez’s mother. “It’s thou- tortion, disappearances of publication by the Arch-
you. Yours, United Neighbors” in Ecatepec, a rough neighbor- sands.” Francis has already women, crooked cops and diocese of Mexico. “The
hood on the outskirts of Mexico City. Pope Francis has already denounced corruption, failed city services — even trash remains below the
denounced corruption, violence and drug-trafficking in Mexico violence and drug-traffick- as President Enrique Pena red carpet, and Francis is
ahead of his visit this week, and he is expected to address those ing in Mexico ahead of his Nieto has sought to make not coming for the tidy and
same themes when he delivers his homily in Ecatepec. Feb. 12-17 visit, and he is economic reform, mod- whitewashed trumpery of
expected to address those ernization and bolstering the event, nor the color-
(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) same themes when he de- the middle class hallmarks ful confetti.” Known for his
livers his homily in Ecate- of his administration. One work ministering to slums as
pec, a sprawling, danger- of Mexico’s most shocking a cleric in his native Buenos
ous, disastrously misman- crimes in recent years was Aires, the Argentine-born
aged suburb of 1.6 million the 2014 mass disappear- pontiff is no stranger to
people. ance of 43 students in the places like Ecatepec.
The pontiff’s decision to southern state of Guerrero. It’s the most heavily popu-
stop here shines an un- “His Holiness will be in the lated municipality in the
comfortable spotlight on country’s violent, poor and country and part of Mexico
the government’s failure to miserable places,” and state, where Pena Nieto
solve entrenched social ills government officials will not was governor from 2005 to
that plague many parts of be able to gloss over those 2011 before leaving office
Mexico — inequality, ram- ills, said a recent editorial to run for president. q

MARIA VERZA sewage-choked canal, but
Associated Press provided no other details.
ECATEPEC, Mexico (AP) — Yanez’s disappearance
One evening in Septem- is a story shared by all too
ber 2014, Mariana Yanez many in Mexico and no-
left her home in this crime- where more so than Ecate-
plagued Mexico City sub- pec, where Pope Francis is
urb saying she was going to hold the largest public
to make some photocop- event of his visit to Mexico
ies. Then she vanished. when he celebrates Mass
Months later, authorities on an outdoor esplanade
called her mother to say here on Sunday just miles
her 18-year-old daugh- (kilometers) from that ca-
ter’s head and thighs had nal.
been found in a sack in a “It’s not just one daughter,”

Mexican gang hangs banners,

claims is “New Family” cartel

MARK STEVENSON The name of the group
Associated Press suggests it is a successor of
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A the Familia Michoacana
dozen people who were drug cartel that was large-
transporting banners pro- ly crushed in 2010 when
claiming that a new crime the Knights Templar gang
gang was taking control in chased it out of Michoa-
the western state of Micho- can.
acan have been detained, The Knights Templar was, in
officials in western Mexico turn, displaced by armed
said Monday. vigilantes in 2013.
A state official who spoke Photos published by local
on condition of anonymity media showed banners
confirmed that the banners hung in two Michoacan
announced the appear- cities that featured crossed
ance of “La Nueva Famil- assault rifles, a shield bear-
ia,” or “New Family.” The ing the letters “LNF” and
official was not authorized the signature of “La Nueva
to be quoted by name. Familia.”q