Mexican Bishops Call For Protection Amid Rising Violence

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a media briefing as journalists raise their hands to ask questions, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File

Four Roman Catholic bishops in Guerrero, Mexico, have issued a call for authorities to protect residents in the face of escalating violence in the region. The recent surge in violence near Tecpan de Galeana, located approximately 65 miles up the Pacific coast from Acapulco, has resulted in the deaths of over a dozen individuals. As a precautionary measure, classes at schools in Tecpan de Galeana and two neighboring municipalities were suspended on Monday.

In a joint statement released by the Catholic bishops conference of Mexico, bishops Jesús González, Leopoldo González, Joel Ocampo Gorostieta, and Dagoberto Sosa expressed concern over the increasing power struggles among criminal organizations. They highlighted that these groups are gaining strength due to the complicity, tolerance, or indifference of certain individuals responsible for upholding justice, legality, and security.