Article Author:
Reuters
MEXICO CITY — Organized crime is endangering Mexican businesses, the National Chamber of Commerce warned after drug cartel members attacked a string of convenience stores earlier this week.
"Business leaders are very concerned about the instability that exists in some parts of our country and need to ensure that the rule of law is fully applied," he said.
The petition took place on Tuesday in the central states of Guanajuato and Jalisco, the Chamber of Commerce companies representing four million people said in a letter late Wednesday afternoon. Following a nightly riot, military personnel clashed with cartel members, prompting the U.S. Embassy to issue a travel warning to the area.
"There was a meeting of two gangs and the secretary of defense arrived (and intervened) … this is what caused the repulsion (and) the arson of the vehicle," said President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador. said in the regular news. meeting.
Taxis and buses were set on fire along his more than 20 branches of Oxxo, Latin America's largest convenience store chain.
A video shared on social media showed people setting fire to the aisles inside an Oxxo store.
Oxxo's parent company, FEMSA, said in a brief statement Wednesday that there were no reports of injuries to employees or customers.
There is no indication that Oxxo stores were intentionally targeted. His two governors of the
state said on Twitter that no injuries were reported elsewhere during the riots and that multiple arrests had been made in connection with the unrest. .
Mexico is no stranger to cartel violence, with an average murder rate of 84 per day, according to the latest statistics.
"We urge the authorities...at the national level, not just where the violence hit this Tuesday, to step up the fight against organized crime and protect citizens." letter read. (Reporting by Isabel Woodford, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
