Mexican president asks Sinaloa drug cartel to act responsibly

On September 14, 2024, news from Mexico City. A week after Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state, was almost paralyzed due to escalating violence, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked the warring factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel to act "responsibly" and avoid further loss of life.

When asked by reporters if the drug cartel will heed the call, López Obrador firmly stated that the words of the Mexican president are always heard, especially when a person has moral authority. Everyone, including criminals, will listen. This conversation at the president's morning press conference on Friday is the latest in a series of events. López Obrador has repeatedly downplayed the conflict between factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The president, who is about to step down on September 30, has always refused to confront drug cartels and has implemented a "hugs, not bullets" strategy to provide opportunities for young people to avoid joining drug cartels.

The recent conflict in Culiacán is the latest example of the continued violence plaguing Mexico, where drug cartels adopt complex forms of warfare. López Obrador said that drug cartels should find other ways to not harm the innocent, avoid loss of life and take care of themselves and their families. Previously, the son of the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, Joaquín Guzmán López, and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada landed near El Paso, Texas. Zambada claimed to have been kidnapped to the United States. Now there seems to be a power struggle between the remaining sons of "El Chapo" and those loyal to Zambada. As of Thursday, state authorities reported at least 12 deaths, 11 injuries, 20 missing persons and 31 car robberies. On Friday, the streets of Culiacán were empty, schools and businesses were closed, and the local government canceled celebrations around Mexican Independence Day.