A national survey has found that seven out of 10 Mexicans have a favorable opinion of the military operation that led to the capture and death of Nemesio “El Mencho” Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, founder and top leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). At the same time, nearly half of respondents said their approval of the president increased following the operation.
Conducted by De las Heras Demotecnia, a Mexican company that conducts political and electoral research, the survey also found that 88% of respondents were aware of El Mencho’s death.
The level of awareness reflects the media and political dimension of the federal deployment, which involved armed forces and federal authorities in one of the most significant actions against organized crime in Mexico in recent years.
When asked how participants rated the military operation against the CJNG and its leader, 69% of respondents gave the operation a rating of eight or higher out of 10. The average rating was 8.3.
Despite the violence, arson attacks, and numerous road blockades attributed to alleged members of the CJNG following El Mencho’s death, public opinion over President Claudia Sheinbaum’s remains largely favorable, with over 55% of respondents saying their opinion improved or remained positive.
When asked whether their opinion of President Sheinbaum improved or worsened after the operation, 48% of participants said their opinion improved; 7% responded that it remained just as good; 8% indicated that it remained just as bad; 20% responded it worsened and 17% either didn’t know or chose not to answer.
In political terms, Sunday’s military action strengthens the narrative of state territorial control. However, the killing of El Mencho does not mean that the CJNG, a transnational criminal organization with operations on almost every continent, will disappear.
It is yet to be seen who will succeed El Mencho and how the internal succession process will affect stability in the rest of the country. Displays of violence in regions where the CJNG operates will ultimately depend on the institutional capacity to prevent internal realignments and disputes between cartel cells.
Mexico News Daily
