Mexico: Continued violence in Michoacán state

Event

According to Mexican government statistics, intentional homicides rates in Michoacán reached 27.41 per 100,000 residents in 2017 and officials anticipate that 2018 will follow a similar trend. The homicide rate for January 2018 reached 30.1, or 121 deaths. In addition to continued violence, the sale of narcotics is on the rise. Registered sales increased from 1101 in 2016 to 2016 in 2017. This violence has led to the establishment of numerous self-defense groups around the state.

Context

Fierce turf wars between competing and increasingly fragmented cartels are on the rise in much of the country and violence in parts of Mexico is spiraling out of control as cartels adopt increasingly militarized tactics. Business owners and government figures are also targeted, and bystanders can be caught up in the crossfire.

This violence is poised to continue as long as the structural causes of insecurity - such as institutional weakness, corrupt and deficient security forces, poor public services, and a political establishment susceptible to bribes - are not effectively addressed.

Advice

Due to extreme levels of violence linked to the presence of various armed groups, some Western governments advise against travel to a large portion of Mexican territory, including Michoacán, as well as the states of Guerrero and Tamaulipas and the northeastern border with the US.