Culiacán (Mexico) (AFP) – Chanting and waving banners, thousands marched Sunday in the Mexican city of Culiacan to protest the deaths of people caught up in a war between two rival factions of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel.
Dressed in white, the protesters released dozens of white balloons into the sky before marching to the cathedral in the capital of Sinaloa state, shouting, "We want peace," and carrying signs saying, "I'm fed up with living in fear."
Culiacan's bishop, Jesus Jose Herrera, called on the gang members to stop the violence: "No territory and no ambition is worth more than a human life."
The protest was organized by the Catholic Church along with business leaders and families of missing persons.
Since September 2024, the state has been gripped by a bitter war between rival factions loyal to the families of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman or Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founders of the cartel who are both now serving life sentences in the United States.
Internal accusations of betrayal sparked the violence between factions.
Daily shootouts and road blocks have led to closed businesses and the suspension of classes as Sinaloa became known as the most dangerous city in Mexico.
In two years, the death toll has surpassed 3,000, including many civilians caught in the crossfire.
Maricela Perez, 62, carried a portrait of her 36-year-old son, Miguel, who was shot to death in May on a volleyball court.
"We don't want any more deaths like this, any more murders," she tearfully told AFP.
"It's terrible," said Marlene Leon, 33, another marcher. "We feel abandoned, and we believe this march is a way to express that, despite the passage of time, we have not normalized the violence and we want peace."
President Claudia Sheinbaum has deployed thousands of soldiers into the state, but despite increasing gun and drug seizures, it has so far failed to curb the violence.
On Saturday alone, at least seven people were killed.
Protesters chanted slogans against Sheinbaum and a group burned a cardboard effigy of her.
The economy of the state, with 3 million inhabitants and significant corn and tomato crops, has declined due to the violence.
"More than 5,000 businesses closed, that's the tragedy Sinaloa is experiencing," said Sergio Raul Esquer, a businessman and state leader of the center-left opposition party Movimiento Ciudadano.
US President Donald Trump declared the Sinaloa Cartel a "foreign terrorist organization" and threatened to intervene against it on Mexican soil if Mexican authorities do not take action.