Mexican marines arrived in Apatzingán municipality Thursday, following of days of narco fighting that has left thousands of people homeless. Apatzingán lies in Michoacán's Tierra Caliente region, and is the home turf of La Familia Michoacàna. What appears particularly noteworthy is that the violence appears due to infighting within La Familia, with a new organization, named Los Caballeros Templarios, seemingly taking on old allies in La Familia, headed by José de Jesús "El Chango" Méndez. Most of Michoacán´s violence, as far as I can tell, has earlier been between La Familia and the Zetas, and the seeming split in the former appears a new development.
Various refugee shelters have been set up for the thousands of people, mostly poor agricultural workers, who have been affected by the violence and forced to flee from their home, particularly from the town of Buenavista close to Apatzingán. Even the BBC has picked up the story.
Notably - and this took me quite by surprise - PAN and the PRD, and seemingly also PRI, did not only agree to a "civility pact" in the state, which has elections coming up in November, but also a common gubernatorial candidacy, something promoted particularly by PAN and PRD´s presidents, Gustavo Madero, and Jesús Zambrano. Earlier, Governor Leonel Godoy expressed strong opposition to the idea, yet now seems more open. Whatever will come out of it, it is an indication that the national parties are well aware that Michoacán is facing an immense onslaught from organized crime, and that new options are now on the table.
