Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Culiacán to demand an end to the violence that has wracked the city in northern Mexico.
The state of Sinaloa has seen the number of murders and disappearances skyrocket since two factions of the Sinaloa cartel started a bloody war two years ago.
Residents dressed in white held up posters of missing loved ones and signs reading “We don’t want fear, we want peace” at the protest on Sunday.
More than three million people live in Sinaloa and many say that the war between the two rival factions – known as Los Chapitos and La Mayiza – has blighted their lives.
The march was scheduled to coincide with the second anniversary since the start of the conflict – which broke out after the arrest of wanted drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the US.
His followers, La Mayiza, allege he was betrayed by the son of the infamous founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and have turned on members of his faction, Los Chapitos.
The two factions regularly carry out ambushes, drive-by shootings and erect roadblocks by hijacking trucks, which they set alight.
Residents of Culiacán have been caught up in this internecine war.
Not only has the number of murders and disappearances shot up in the state but also those of extortions and robberies, official figures suggest.
Sunday’s protest was organised by relatives of victims, local businesses, civil society groups and the Catholic Church.
Businessman Sergio Esquer told AFP news agency that more than 5,000 businesses had closed since the start of the feud.
The event started with a Mass in which the bishop of Culiacán called on members of the warring groups to put an end to their violence.
Credit: bbc.com
