Behind the murders of Monreal's relatives

By Sandra Romandía

The recent tragic chapter in Zacatecas, where violence has taken the lives of prominent public figures, raises an inevitable question: What is the Mexican Army really for? In a country ravaged by organized crime, the arrival of 800 military elements to reinforce security in the region should represent a ray of hope. However, the stark reality confronts us with an uncomfortable question: What do these armed forces achieve when crimes continue to occur with total impunity?

The murder this Saturday in Fresnillo of Jorge Antonio Monreal Martínez, nephew of Zacatecas Governor David Monreal, occurred just hours after Army troops arrived in the state to supposedly restore order and security. The spiral of violence in Zacatecas intensified with a sequence of heartbreaking events; just on Thursday the director of Social Development of the municipality of Fresnillo, Juan Perez Guardado -relative of Senator Ricardo Monreal- was murdered; hours later the businessman Jose Olvera and, shortly after, Cecilio Murillo, brother of the mayor of Sombrerete. Then came the murder of the nephew of the two Monreal.