22/05/2024
962 times read
22/05/2024
962 times read
![](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/uploads/imported_images/2024/05/10-bodies-found-in-Mexioc-acapulco.jpg)
MEXICO CITY, May 22: Acapulco, once a symbol of luxury and leisure, now grapples with the grim realities of violence linked to organized crime, as authorities confirmed the discovery of ten bodies strewn across the resort city on Tuesday.
Local public security officials reported that the bodies of two women and four men were left along an avenue near a market late Monday night. Media outlets in the Pacific coastal city indicated that the bodies had been thrown from a moving vehicle.
In a separate incident, a shooting in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood resulted in the death of three men, with three others sustaining injuries, as confirmed by officials. Additionally, authorities uncovered the body of another man, fatally shot in the tourist area of the city.
Acapulco's descent from its glamorous past has been marked by escalating violence, turning it into one of the world's most dangerous cities. Situated in the state of Guerrero, one of Mexico's worst-hit regions by drug-related crime, Acapulco witnessed 1,890 murders in 2023 alone, primarily stemming from cartel conflicts.
Mexico's broader struggle against organized crime has resulted in over 450,000 deaths since former President Felipe Calderon initiated a military offensive against drug cartels in 2006. Criminal organizations extend their influence beyond drug trafficking, engaging in illicit activities such as human smuggling, extortion, and fuel theft.
The surge in criminal violence casts a shadow over the upcoming local, national, and legislative elections scheduled for June 2. Recent weeks have seen grisly discoveries across various regions, including 11 bodies found in the southern border state of Chiapas and nine bodies uncovered in Morelos, Zacatecas state.
As Mexicans grapple with pervasive insecurity, political candidates offer divergent approaches to addressing crime. Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador advocates for addressing underlying socio-economic factors, emphasizing a strategy of "hugs not bullets." In contrast, opposition contender Xochitl Galvez pledges to adopt a tougher stance against cartels, signaling an end to leniency towards criminals.