MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday offered “full guarantees” for the safety of football fans at World Cup games in the violence-plagued city of Guadalajara.
The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the United States, was killed in a military operation some 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Jalisco state capital Guadalajara on Sunday.
The cartel reacted with fury, engaging in firefights with security forces that left dozens dead across Mexico — both soldiers and cartel members — and sent tourists and residents fleeing for cover.
Football’s world governing body FIFA declined to comment on the violence.
As calm returns, businesses in Jalisco are expected to reopen on Tuesday, with schools to follow suit on Wednesday.
Guadalajara is one of three Mexican cities that will host fixtures in the World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada. – AFP
