Michoacán at War

Halcones looting after setting fire to a truck

Includes:


Parácuaro: A Week of Tension and Violence
Tierra Caliente at War; Shootouts, More Than Three Shops and Ten Vehicles in Flames
A War Zone This Afternoon in the Municipality Of Parácuaro, Michoacán

What the People of Apatzingán Woke Up To

Antúnez; the Occupation That Sparked the Violence in Michoacán


Additional photos are located in the Forum

Parácuaro: A Week of Tension and Violence

January 10, 2014—Following the arrival of the self-defense groups in the municipality of Parácuaro on Saturday, January 4, 2014, the stage for the Tierra Caliente region has once again become intense and has brought anguish to the people.

Roadblocks for five consecutive days, shootouts, assassinations, burning of vehicles, and protests against the self-defense groups have been constant during the week.

On one side the self-defense groups supported by a portion of the population remains in the municipal capital and have the security of the municipality under their control, while the 11 municipal police officers still haven’t taken on their duties.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Parácuaro, Lucila Vázquez, has recently led prostests on the road that connects the community of Cuatro Caminos, to demand that the Mexican Army and federal authorities intervene to get rid of the self-defense groups.

Military retentions have occurred here and also the burning of at least five vehicles from last Saturday to today.

This is the context that maintains a warning to the public against a possible new armed uprising of a community and the fear that in the tenure of Antunez, a portion of the population is arming itself to deal with an attack on the self-defense groups.

As told by some testimonies of the people, anxiety is becoming widespread among these towns and those near the municipality of Apatzingán, where a violent weekend is expected.

Source: Revolución 3.0

Tierra Caliente at War; Shootouts, More Than Three Shops and Ten Vehicles in Flames

January 10, 2014.  Michoacán—After the incursion of the self-defense groups in the tenure of Antúnez, in the municipality of Parácuaro, the region of the Tierra Caliente is in a state of war.  At least three stores and more than a dozen vehicles have been set on fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bih8S_DN1Q

At the height of the road Cuatro Caminos-Apatzingán and at the junction to Parácuaro, many roadblocks and burning of vehicles have been recorded as well as the municipality seat of Apatzingán; where two OXXO stores and a Coppel Canadá were set on fire.

Meanwhile, after many shootouts and a tense atmosphere that has occurred in Apatzingán and nearby towns; entire families have been trying to leave in convoys towards the towns of Uruapan and Morelia.

As told by testimonies from the inhabitants, Federal Police and the Mexican Army have not had a presence in the conflict zone (at the time of this publication), where several shootouts between the self-defense groups and armed commandos have occurred.

Residents of the municipality of Apatzingan reported that minutes before 20:00 hours the war began.  After the burning of vehicles and shops; in the county seat, gunshots and explosions, possibly by grenades, were heard.

“We just heard a grenade going off just outside my house, we have the lights off, the shootings have intensified”, a resident staying in the downtown area of the conflict told Michoacán 3.0.

“Sorry but this isn’t the right time, we’re not in our right mind, my family is inconsolable, full of panic, we are sheltered” he said before hanging up.

“Please help me, bullets are flying everywhere, businesses are burning, etc.  We have family at the corner of the library, in OXXO they broke everything, they aim at the cars, the few that are out, and shoot at them.”

Meanwhile, residents of the town of Apatzingán panicked since Friday morning as they have been isolated since apparently different parts are without internet access.

On this afternoon (Friday) around 18:00 hours, the self-defense groups entered the tenure of Antúnez, after they took the municipal seat of the municipality of Parácuaro last Saturday.

Sources in the area have also stated that the self-defense movement has also taken the municipality of Coahuayana, after which the wave of violence and psychosis among the population unleashed.

Source: Michoacán 3.0

A War Zone This Afternoon in the Municipality Of Parácuaro, Michoacán

By: Antonio Jimenez

January 10, 2014— Violence deepened in the Tierra Caliente region in Michoacán, after the afternoon on Friday when a group of citizens of Parácuaro, set up roadblocks with vehicles blocking the highway Apatzingán-Cuatro Caminos, and the entrance to that municipality.  Strangers then suddenly began setting fire to a bus and several cars that were blocking the roads.  Minutes later clashes were reported in the community 20 de noviembre, in the municipality of Parácuaro.

A car store has also been reported to have been set on fire as well as the OXXO previously stated in Apatzingán.

Some of the vehicles burned were: a passenger bus of a Purépechas route, two from the company Bimbo, one from Gamesa, a box truck, among others.  The violence has spread to Apatzingán where there were also reports of vehicles being burned.

Source: Revolución 3.0 

What the People of Apatzingán Woke Up To

This is what the people of Apatzingán woke up to: deserted streets, businesses damaged by fire, banks riddled with bullets, and a tense atmosphere on Saturday morning.

 

The city hall of Apatzingán

The city hall of Apatzingán

 OXXO store in Apatzingán

 

One of the burnt buses in Tierra Caliente

Coppel Store in Apatzingán

The library Benito Juarez in Apatzingán

The bank Banamex in Apatzingán

The bank Banamex in Apatzingán

 

The bank Banamex in Apatzingán

One of the vehicles burnt on the road in Tierra Caliente

Source: Michoacán 3.0

The response from the official twitter page of the governor of Michoacán was this:

“There is no widespread conflict occurring in Apatzingán, it is only focused in certain areas.  Order will be gradually restored.”

Antúnez; the Occupation That Sparked the Violence in Michoacán

Parácuaro, Michoacán.— On Friday afternoon around 18:00 hours, a convoy of self-defense members entered the tenure of Antúnez, municipality of Parácuaro, a community located on the side road of Cuatro Caminos-Apatzingán.

Minutes later, violence in Apatzingán unleashed; the results were more than a dozen vehicles torched, shootings, grenade detonations, and a day that ended with at least three businesses in flames and the town hall was partially damaged by fire.

This occurs just after five days of continuous protests in which people made roadblocks and vehicles were set on fire in response to trying to get federal forces to intervene against the self-defense groups staying in the municipality seat of Parácuaro, which has been liberated since January 4.

However, from local testimonies of people in the region, the taking of the road Cuatro Caminos-Apatzingán was in response to trying to prevent the self-defense movement from entering the tenure Antúnez.  The reason: to prevent the self-defense movement from entering Apatzingán.

Source: Michoacán 3.0

Categories: mexico, Mexico's Drug War, Michoacán, Self-Defense Group