Mexico’s business chiefs fear cartel violence after attack on FEMSA’s Oxxo stores
MEXICO CITY, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Organized crime is threatening Mexican businesses, the National Chamber of Commerce has warned, after drug cartel members stormed a chain of convenience stores earlier this week.
“Business leaders are deeply concerned about the climate of insecurity that exists in some areas of our country and we need to guarantee the full application of the rule of law,” the chamber, which represents 4 million businesses, said in a letter. Wednesday late afternoon.
The petition follows a night of violence in the central states of Guanajuato and Jalisco on Tuesday, where military personnel clashed with cartel members, prompting the US embassy to issue a travel alert in the region.
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President Andres Manuel López Obrador said in his regular press conference, “There was a meeting of the two gangs and the Secretary of Defense arrived (and intervened).
Taxis and buses were torched, along with more than 20 branches of Oxxo, Latin America’s largest convenience-store chain.
Videos shared on social media showed people setting fire to inside Oxxo shops, while others showed armed men shooting at local businesses.
Oxxo’s parent company FEMSA said in a brief statement on Wednesday that no employee or customer injuries were reported.
There is no indication that Oxxo stores were deliberately targeted.
The two governors of the states said on Twitter that no one else was reported injured during the violence, and that several arrests had been made related to the disruption.
According to the latest figures, Mexico is no stranger to cartel violence, with an average murder rate of 84 per day.
The business consulate read, “We make a strong call to the authorities … to strengthen the fight against organized crime and protect citizens, not only faced with the acts of violence this Tuesday, but at the national level.” “
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Reporting by Isabel Woodford, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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