Mexicans Condemn Massacre in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon

On May 13, 2012, Mexico woke up to see yet another result of the battle being fought as part of the current administration's war against organized crime. The facts occurred in the county of Cadereyta Jiménez, in the Nuevo León state in northern Mexico, just 400 kilometers away from the border with the United States.

The bodies of 49 people, mutilated, were found in the road that leads to Reynosa (Tamaulipas). Ignacio de los Reyes [es] from BBC World referred to the grim finding as follows:

Las escenas de cuerpos decapitados y mutilados en Nuevo León, donde 49 cuerpos fueron arrojados a la carretera este domingo, sacudieron a muchos por la extrema barbarie exhibida por los asesinos. Incluso en México, que después de cinco años de intensa guerra entre cárteles parecía haberlo visto todo.

Según el gobierno del estado de Nuevo León, a los cadáveres de Cadereyta se les había cortado la cabeza, los brazos y, en algunos casos, las piernas. Y de acuerdo al vocero del gobierno estatal, ninguno de ellos presentaba heridas de bala, por lo que podrían haber sido torturados y mutilados a sangre fría, mientras aún estaban vivos.

The scene of decapitated and mutilated bodies in Nuevo León, where 49 bodies were dumped on the road this Sunday, shocked many for the extreme barbarity displayed by the killers. Even in Mexico, where after five years of intense war among drug cartels it seemed like they had seen it all.

According to the Nuevo Leon state government, the bodies [found in] Cadereyta were beheaded, without arms, and in some cases, without legs. And according to the state spokesman, none of the bodies showed gunshot injuries, so [the victims] might have been tortured and mutilated in cold blood while still alive.

Journalist Carlos Puig [es] recalled that this is not an isolated case, and that these sort of violent events have happened in several occasions across the nation:

Se encadena la masacre con los colgados en Nuevo Laredo, o los aventados en Jalisco, o los asesinados en Tamaulipas…

Las bandas criminales siguen jugando su partido y el árbitro no tiene idea ni de las reglas ni de las estrategias de los jugadores. Se repiten las masacres en uno y otro estado porque la impunidad abarata el homicidio.

The massacre is linked to those hanged in Nuevo Laredo, those thrown in Jalisco, those assassinated in Tamaulipas…

The criminal gangs keep playing their game and the referee has no idea of the players’ rules and strategies. The massacres repeat in one state and then another because impunity cheapens homicide.

Also, he related the issue with the current electoral process, arguing that this event would ideally encourage the presidential candidates to present concrete and realistic proposals to solve the problems of insecurity that trouble the country:

Ante lo sucedido el fin de semana en Nuevo León, resulta patético escuchar la falta de imaginación de los candidatos en su propuesta para enfrentar la violencia. Paralizados ante un fenómeno al que parecen temer.

After what happened last weekend in Nuevo León, it is pathetic to hear the lack of imagination in the candidates’ proposals to face violence. Paralyzed in front of a phenomenon that they seem to fear.

"Stop the Violence". Illustration by Gerardo Obieta, @G_Obieta, under Creative Commons Licence 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

On Twitter, citizens from different profiles condemned the deed, and some questioned President Calderón, like Alessia Corcuera (@top_roping_ale) [es]:

49 cadáveres descuartizados en #Cadereyta.¿En serio crees que el país va bien @FelipeCalderon? ¿O vas a decir que es cuestión de percepción?

49 corpses quartered in #Cadereyta. Do you really think the country is OK with @FelipeCalderon? Or are you going to say it's a matter of perception?

Similarly, Alberto Esteva (@AlbertoEsteva) [es] made a declaration on the implications of the finding in relation to the security policies the current President has implemented:

Las 49 víctimas de Cadereyta evidencian el fracaso de la política de seguridad de Calderón., continuando su discurso de frases huecas

The 49 victims of Cadereyta make the failure of Calderon's security policy evident., continuing his speech of hollow phrases

User José Plata (@pepeplata) [es] qualified what happened in Cadereyta as a pity:

49 cuerpos mutilados en #Cadereyta: 6 mujeres y 43 hombres.. Sigue cerrada la carretera libre a Reynosa. Una lástima lo que ocurre en #NL

49 mutilated bodies in #Cadereyta: 6 women and 43 men… The highway to Reynosa is still closed. What happens in #NL [Nuevo León] is a pity

Analyst and former presidential aspirant, Jorge Castañeda (@JorgeGCastaneda) [es] expressed that the fact is a demonstration that the ‘war’ continues in Mexico:

Los 49descuartizados d Cadereyta muestran q a 5meses d q termine el sexenio d Calderón su guerra no ha terminado ni seha ganado.Hasta cuándo

The 49 quartered of Cadereyta show us that 5 months before the end of Calderon's administration his war has not ended and hasn't been won. How much longer

Also, journalist Julio Hernández (@julioastillero) [es] pointed out Mexicans’ perception when they come across these type of news:

49 o 68 asesinados (depende de la fuente) en Cadereyta y millones de mexicanos ya ven esas noticias como algo casi normal

49 or 68 killed (depends on the source) in Cadereyta and millions of Mexicans already see this news as something almost normal

The Cadereyta massacre is one of the most violent episodes that Mexicans have witnessed amidst the war against organized crime, which currently shows no signs of being close to an end.

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