Catholic bishops call for authorities to step up against violence in southern Mexico
Four Roman Catholic bishops in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero called Monday for civilian and military authorities to take steps to protect residents of a region rocked by violence that has left more than a dozen dead in recent days
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Four Roman Catholic bishops in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero called Monday for civilian and military authorities to take steps to protect residents of a region rocked by violence that has left more than a dozen dead in recent days.
The violence around Tecpan de Galeana, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) up the Pacific coast from Acapulco, led authorities to suspend classes at schools there and in two neighboring municipalities on Monday.
In a statement circulated by the Catholic bishops conference of Mexico, bishops Jesús González, Leopoldo González, Joel Ocampo Gorostieta and Dagoberto Sosa said the power struggles among criminal organizations are growing stronger “because they have the complicity, tolerance or indifference of many of those who must promote and ensure justice, legality and security.”
The same four bishops drew attention earlier this year when they acknowledged meeting with Mexican drug cartel bosses in a bid to negotiate a possible peace accord. The truce did not come to fruition because one of the parties allegedly did not agree.
