Federal and local officials in Mexico have been in damage control mode since last week’s gruesome discovery by a civilian search group at an alleged cartel training base in the state of Jalisco.
Referencing the finding of an underground crematorium, headlines around the world this week referred to the ranch as an “extermination camp” and an “apparent mass killing site.” The Reforma newspaper even labeled it “Mexico’s Auschwitz.”
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) would take over the case. This came a day after she demanded that Jalisco authorities issue a complete report about the ranch, which was first discovered last September.
“It is imperative that we conduct a full investigation before we jump to conclusions,” she said, adding that the FGR would submit a report next week. Sheinbaum also decried the rush to judgment precipitated by “a couple photos and speculation.”
On Wednesday, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus met with members of Sheinbaum’s security cabinet, saying in a social media post that his administration had agreed to “joint actions” with the federal government.
Lemus, who has been in office only three months, quickly distanced himself from his predecessor, Enrique Alfaro, who was governor when the ranch was found. Both men are members of the opposition Movimiento Ciudadano party.
Lemus said he will not allow the scandal to be swept under the rug, regardless of who might be found guilty of crimes, whether “by omission or commission.”
Alfaro’s social media accounts have been bombarded with questions and accusations since the news broke.
The ranch in Teuchitlán — located 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the state capital Guadalajara — was discovered by National Guard troops, but the site was not secured even after the state prosecutor’s office conducted an inspection. Officials did not report any findings and the investigation went quiet.
On March 5, the Jalisco Search Warriors, a group of citizens looking for missing relatives, visited the site on a tip. They gained access by simply pushing open an unlocked gate.
Search Warriors leader Indira Navarro accused Alfaro of “trying to hide this kind of situation or discovery,” asking how state investigators with technology and training could have failed to find what her group did “using only pick, shovel and metal bar.”
There are more than 120,000 disappeared people in Mexico, according to government data.
With reports from La Jornada, El Occidental, Los Angeles Times and Infobae
