The group of Mexican farmers who killed ten members of a cartel with weapons earlier this month have been allowed to walk free.
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Prosecutors from the state of Mexico testified in court earlier this week that the farmers acted in self-defense and that the Familia Michoacana cartel had regularly threatened the village of Texcapilla through extortion and charging them protection costs based on the size of their land. Due to a poor harvesting season, the farmers met with members of the cartel to discuss their concerns about being unable to pay the extortion price while also providing for their families, and they attempted to negotiate a lesser fee, as reported by Yahoo! News.
The conference, however, was a failure, and the farmers came together to defend themselves against the cartel members on a football field. In the aftermath of the brawl, 14 people were killed, including the local leader known as “el Payaso,” and seven were injured. Unfortunately, local authorities said that the cartel has begun its vengeance for their defeat, as 14 locals, including four children, have gone missing days after the clash.
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Governor Delfina Gómez promised residents that officials will continue to help them amid the increasing tensions between the village and cartel.
“These events do not paralyze us. On the contrary, they reaffirm our commitment to improve the security conditions in our beloved state. Rest assured that we will continue working so that episodes like this aren’t repeated. To the [residents of the] south of México state I say, you are not alone, we are with you.”
Due to the constant violence, villages have been hiring vigilantes to protect them from gang members and prevent other crimes.
