The Knights Templars Cartel is Calling a Short Truce

by Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat

Guanajuato
Several cities around the state woke up yesterday with narcomantas attributed to Knights Templars.

The Knights Templars drugs cartel is calling a short truce - but only to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico.

"They did put up signs announcing this," a Guanajuato state government source told AFP privately on Sunday.

“The Knights Templars are holding off on all violent action, we are not killers, welcome to the Pope," the official said paraphrasing one of the signs put up in the town of Irapuato, Guanajuato state.

The signs were seen in at least seven towns statewide.   The messages were placed on pedestrian bridges in Leon, Irapuato, Salamanca, San Miguel de Allende, Yuriria, Moroleón and Uriangato, according to local police reports.

Police sources reported that City of Irapuato notices appeared simultaneously around 7:00 am on Saturday. Se trata de tres mantas, una de ellas fue puesta en la zona del paso vehicular del trébol de la salida hacia Abasolo, a la altura de la colonia Purísima del Jardín; una más en el puente vehicular de la colonia Las Américas, frente al CBTIS 65, a la salida a León, y otra en el Puente Bicentenario ubicado sobre el bulevar Mariano J. All the messages were essentially the same in content.

Excelsior published Thursday that a similar action was developed by New Generation Jalisco cartel in the city of Leon.

For some municipalities of Guanajuato, the appearance of narco mantas is already a constant phenomenon, namely that in locations such as Celaya, Moroleón, Uriangato, Jerécuaro, Coroneo Acámbaro and  at daybreak a preventive police unit picks up messages that are placed.  At either vehicular or pedestrian bridges, mantas (banners) are displayed announcing actions that criminal organizations seek to undertake, and are placed at dawn to avoid being detected by police patrols.

On January 23, 2012 the Archbishop of Leon called for a truce during the papal visit.  "If my word reaches them, tell them to take into account the time that we live, is one of peace and grace that can work even allowing all these people coming to an act which is totally respectable, not do anything that may lead to an experience of grief, "he said.

The government secretary, Hector German  Lopez Santillana, announced that the state government will spend 35 million pesos in regard to the security police operation and emergency in relation to civil protection.

The Pope arrives March 23 in Leon.  The Knights Templar were founded  in the neighbouring state of Michoacan,  and are an offshoot of La Familia Michoacan Cartel.

Sources used for this post:  Excelsior and Los Grillos

Havana has a post on Borderland Beat Forum that has an abundance of information on this subject, including a lot of backstory info see her post here