Churumuco, Michoacán: Autodefensa Leader Assassinated
Antúnez, Michoacán: Shootouts- Roadblocks
Mayor of Parácuaro Requests Help: “Don’t Leave Us Alone”
Autodefensa Roadblock Attacked: No Casualties
By: Carlos Arrieta (Animal Politico), Mi Morelia | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
Antúnez, Michoacán: Shootouts- Roadblocks
Following the shootouts that occurred Saturday, residents of Antúnez set up roadblocks at the entrances and exits of the town.
Police reports have reported that the presence of heavily armed men in the area of Úspero have been detected.
Therefore, inhabitants set up roadblocks made up of sand/dirt filled burlap bags and cement.
According to an article from Etcetera, the community decided to rearm themselves in order to prevent criminal groups from entering the community.
The situation is tense in the area. The first skirmish took place on Thursday, August 20 which left a truck riddled with bullets. The second occurred on Saturday, which left one dead and three wounded as well as five bullet riddled trucks abandoned in the center of Antúnez.
Churumuco, Michoacán: Autodefensa Leader Assassinated
Four attacks were registered this weekend in Michoacán against former autodefensa members, which are now Fuerza Rural members, leaving five wounded and two dead, including a leader of the community groups. Most of the attacks were reported mainly in the Tierra Caliente region.
The State Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría de Justicia del Estado) confirmed that this past Saturday night, Arturo Peñaloza was assassinated. Peñaloza was the leader of the autodefensas in Churumuco. He was gunned down by armed gunmen.
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| Lucila Barajas |
Mayor of Parácuaro Requests Help: “Don’t Leave Us Alone”
After revealing that those injured in the attack that occurred on Saturday in Antúnez are natives from Uruapan, the mayor of Parácuaro, Lucila Barajas Vázquez, requested for immediate assistance to help stop the violence that is plaguing the community of Tierra Caliente.
“We call on the authorities to take control of the municipality, to not leave us alone because the situation is becoming worse each and every day; it began as something temporarily and now the situation is already very difficult, so yes, we call on the police and the military to put up checkpoints, a military base for the moment, to see if the situation calms down,” she said.
Autodefensa Roadblock Attacked: No Casualties
Sunday morning in the municipality of Huetamo, which borders the state of Guerrero, the PGJE reported the set up of roadblocks after an attack from another armed group. Although there were no injured, the agency initiated a briefing kit.
Regarding all weekend attacks, the Attorney General of Michoacán, José Martín Godoy, said that they have already identified all of the attackers. They have proceeded in finding their location.
Sources: Mi Morelia, Animal Politico, Animal Politico