Mexico deployed thousands of troops across the country to quell violence sparked by the killing of its most-wanted cartel boss.
Authorities said dozens were killed in the aftermath of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes’ death on Sunday, with the cartel’s show of force leading to school and business closures across Mexico. While Washington celebrated his killing, some in Mexico fear it will unleash a wave of violence as the cartel’s factions fight for control.
Others have warned that Cervantes’ death will change little given the state’s weakness: “Can Mexico’s government win a lasting battle against cartels with formidable private armies… when it has one of the region’s most under-resourced states?” the editor in chief of Americas Quarterly asked.
