The day Michoacán became the set of a movie that no one asked for
Imagine the scene: a quiet day in the Tierra Caliente suddenly transforms into the perfect setting for the most violent “Narcos” spin-off that Netflix would ever dare to produce. First, the brave (and probably terrified) elements of the Municipal Police had to face what can only be described as the worst neighborhood meeting in history: approximately one hundred guys with more artillery than a Bad Bunny concert, all members of the famous (and unloved) Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel.
And, in a move that demonstrates its total lack of originality in naming things, the CJNG decided that any given Wednesday was the perfect time to turn the towns of Presa de los Olivos and Cholula into its personal playground. The “party”, because calling it a confrontation would be an understatement, lasted approximately one hour—enough time to mark a before and after in the peace of the region, but insufficient for the residents to process what was happening.
When the army becomes the hero of the show
Just when the situation seemed like something out of a particularly intense episode of “What do we do now?”, the Mexican Army made its grand entrance. They arrived with all the protocol: operational by land, by air, and probably with that mixture of determination and resignation that characterizes those who constantly have to clean up other people’s messes. To this day, the outcome of this episode of extreme violence remains as mysterious as the ending of “The Sopranos.”
Meanwhile, in the “things that should never happen but do happen” section, schools at different levels made the only sensible decision: canceling classes. Because, let’s be honest, between learning mathematics and not dying in a cartel confrontation, the choice is pretty obvious. The safety of students, especially girls and boys, became the number one priority in the midst of this organized chaos.
And here comes the most anticipated plot twist: the residents, armed with the only thing more powerful than an assault rifle in the 21st century—their cell phones—became war correspondents out of necessity. Recording every moment, every shot, every example of the dangerous violence that surrounds them, these citizens transformed their mobile devices into reporting tools, evidencing the constant risk they live in this area of the country. Because when reality surpasses fiction, the only thing left is to document everything for the future judgment of history.
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