López Obrador speaks of "black propaganda" following a wave of violence in Mexico

Following acts of violence committed by members of the most dangerous cartels in several Mexican cities, leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador limited himself to saying that "there is no major problem" with security, suggesting that the seriousness of the events was being exaggerated and that it is all part of a possible political conspiracy against him.

"I do not know if there is a connection or a black hand, if this has been orchestrated, if it has been articulated, what I have no doubt about is that our opponents, the conservatives, do help in the black propaganda," said the head of state last Monday.

The consequences of the altercations taking place in Mexico could be extreme. The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, explained that "with insecurity, investment from the U.S. and other countries in Mexico cools off. Insecurity is a key factor for businessmen".

42 individuals arrested

The Undersecretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Ricardo Mejía Berdeja, confirmed this Thursday that the arrest of 42 people in Sinaloa was allegedly related to the criminal groups that composed the violent acts, such as shootings against security forces and, the burning of vehicles in Tijuana last weekend.

As confirmed by the Mexican president, several of the captured individuals are leaders of different cartels. These arrests were made as a result of violence in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Chihuahua and Baja California.

Outcry in Mexico over the reaction of the mayor of Tijuana

Meanwhile, Tijuana councilwoman Montserrat Caballero surprised listeners by inciting criminal gangs to attack merchants for being the ones allegedly in debt. "Collect the bills from those who did not pay what they are owed, not from the families, not from the working citizens, Tijuana will remain active in taking care of its citizens," she exclaimed in a press conference.

The words of Caballero, who belongs to López Obrador's party, generated a high level of indignation among the merchants and the citizens.