BREAKING NEWS
Attack in Morelia sends shockwaves through the republic
By Atención staff
Mexico’s traditional independence celebrations were shattered when suspected drug cartel gunmen threw two grenades into a crowd of 18,000 patriotic onlookers in Morelia, the state capital of neighboring Michoacán. Eight spectators were killed and 132 injured.
Just as Michoacán’s governor, Leonel Godoy Rangel, concluded his speech on the evening of September 15, a grenade exploded just 50 meters from the governor’s entourage and another a few blocks from the governor’s mansion. The explosions occurred just as the crowd joined in the cry “Viva México!” and bells rang in celebration of 198 years of Mexican independence from Spanish rule. Hundreds of soldiers and police evacuated the area immediately and paramedics treated the injured. Eyewitnesses described a robust man dressed in black as the instigator.
The traditional military parade held every September 16 was cancelled. Governor Godoy announced on national television that the attack was committed by members of organized crime.
In his traditional Independence Day speech, President Felipe Calderón pledged that the government’s resolve to confront the drug cartels is “firm and unbreakable” and he called for national unity in this “critical hour.” Calderón, who has already sent thousands of soldiers to the state, said the attack demands an immediate response by the armed forces. He also appeared on national TV to ask that Mexicans help in any way possible to combat crime and provide any information they have linked to the attack. The president visited Morelia on September 17 to assess the situation and the aftermath of the attack.
In 2006, President Calderón launched his anti-crime crusade from his hometown of Morelia. Since then the country has witnessed escalating violence, including kidnappings, murders and battles between gangland bosses. Only a few days after tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Mexico City in protest against the wave of violence in Mexico, 24 bodies that had been shot execution-style were discovered outside the capital.
News
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On September 18 Mayor Jesús Correa reported on his activities during the second year of his administration. His speech focused mainly on progress in the areas of education, public security, ecology and the economy. |
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