A shocking act of violence has reminded Mexico that the horrors of the Drug War continue. On the night of August 27, a group of attackers in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, set fire to a bar, killing 28 people inside. The attack may have been linked to extortion payments or drug sales.
The attack took place on a Tuesday night at the Caballo Blanco nightclub, where alleged members of the Jalisco cartel blocked the exits and set a fire. When patrons realised they were trapped, for many it was too late.
Veracruz is one of the most dangerous states in Mexico, where multiple drug cartels are battling for territory. In April, another deadly attack took place near Coatzacoalcos in the town of Minatitlan when a gunman killed 14 people at a party.
The attack was the single worst episode of violence since president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December. While he promised a new approach to overcoming the entrenched network of drug cartels that drives violence, his approach so far looks like more of the same, relying heavily on the military and a new National Guard.
While media attention has waned, murder rates are currently higher than in the worst years of the government offence against drug cartels, that began in 2007. In the past, violence was concentrated in cities in northern Mexico. Now, rival cartels are battling across the country, leaving almost no state untouched by the violence.
Mons. Rutilo Muñoz Zamora, the bishop of Coatzacoalcos, said in a statement that the attack was horrendous and contributed to the sense of danger that all people in Veracruz feel. He said, “Violence only generates more violence, and irreparable damage that worsens the downward spiral and deterioration of our communities.”
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