Mexican official denies vigilante movement has reignited
Posted September 2, 2019 3:34 pm.
MEXICO CITY — State and local officials in western Mexico are disputing whether the old vigilante “self-defence” movement has re-awakened, or whether recent confrontations are just turf battles between gangs.
The 2013-2014 vigilante movement took control of large swaths of western Michoacan state. But vigilantes were largely disarmed after the government sent in thousands of police and troops.
Over the weekend, vigilantes in the town of Tepalcatepec said they had fought off a massive attack by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Town officials were so shaken they announced Monday they were cancelling classes and Sept. 15-16 Independence day celebrations.
But on Monday, Michoacan Gov. Silvano Aureoles denied there was any resurgence of the vigilante movement, saying the confrontations had been magnified and were turf battles between drug gangs.
The Associated Press
