GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Hugo Alejandro Pérez was at his home a few miles from the Mexican stadium scheduled to host FIFA World Cup Matches when gunfire and explosions erupted just outside his door.
The 53-year-old restaurant owner was already skeptical about his city, Guadalajarahost of the international sporting event.
He saw a government that failed to fix basic issues such as the water supply to his home, along with cartel violence in the surrounding state of Jalisco, and shook his head. The wave of bloodshed this week after the assassination of the Mexican army from the most powerful cartel boss in the country offered further confirmation of his doubts.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Peréz said. “We have so many problems and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, that is not a good idea.”
Peréz on Tuesday joined others questioning Guadalajara’s ability to host the summer soccer competition, even as the Mexican government vowed that the international event – jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada – would not be affected.
President offers ‘all guarantees’ for the World Cup
President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked during her daily news briefing what guarantees there are that World Cup matches will be held in Jalisco. “All guarantees,” she said, adding that there was “no risk” to fans coming to the tournament.
Jalisco Governor Jesús Pablo Lemus said he had spoken to local FIFA officials, who “have absolutely no intention of removing venues from Mexico. The three venues remain completely unchanged.”
The same day, the Portuguese Football Federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation in Mexico.” The national team was scheduled to play a friendly match against the Mexican team on March 28 at the newly renovated Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where the opening match of the World Cup will take place on June 11.
Jalisco, in western Mexico, was already under scrutiny. The state has been plagued by some of the worst examples of cartel violence in recent years, including the discovery of a cartel murder site on a ranch last March and a crisis of disappearances.
The state, with Guadalajara as its capital, is the central hub for the Jalisco New Generation Cartelwhose leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantesor ‘El Mencho’, was killed on Sunday in an attempted capture by the army.
The operation and waves of violence 70 people killed. Cartel gunmen set fire to cars to block streets in states across the country, especially Jalisco, and fought with Mexican forces until Monday when the government said the conflict was under control.
Oseguera Cervantes’ death came as the Mexican government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet US President Donald Trump’s demands to crack down on criminal groups. The cartel, also known as CJNG, is one of the fastest growing criminal networks in Mexico.
The White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to capture the cartel leader and applauded the Mexican military for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. On Tuesday evening, US President Donald Trump appeared to briefly reference the operation during his State of the Union address, saying: “We also took down one of the most sinister cartel leaders of them all. You saw that yesterday.”
The drug lord’s death could lead to more violence
Peréz, the restaurant owner, also praised Sheinbaum’s efforts to tackle cartels and said the government has taken cartel violence more seriously than its predecessors. At the same time, he said, local authorities in Jalisco have failed to protect civilians.
The main concern of many is that the death of “El Mencho” could pave the way for more violence. The killing of capos, in what has become known as the ‘Kingpin Strategy’, has been criticized by Sheinbaum himself because it can often lead to internal conflict between cartel factions and encourage rival cartels to grab territory.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, an academic at the Brookings Institution, said she does not see more “acts of revenge” by the cartel as likely, but that the future remains uncertain, especially after leading figures in both CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel have been accused eliminated in recent years.
“If there is no clear line of succession (in CJNG), we could see a lot of fighting within the cartel, its disintegration, and there are many scenarios,” she said.
On Sunday, as gun battles broke out between the cartel and soldiers and gunmen began torching a car right in front of Peréz’s home, he had people on the street scrambling into his home for cover. The fighting lasted an hour.
Now he says he sees no point in holding the games, adding that he doubts the money from the games will trickle down to businesses in working-class neighborhoods like his, even though they are just a 10-minute drive from the stadium. Comparable tensions have simmered in Mexico City.
The World Cup is expected to be a $3 billion economic driver in Mexico, according to the Mexican Football Federation.
“It honestly doesn’t help us residents at all. They should move it to Monterrey or Mexico City. But at this point we’re not convinced,” he said. “Business is not good enough for foreigners to come to Jalisco for an event like this.”
On Monday, some foreign tourists trapped in the violence in the city of Puerto Vallarta warned of the violence on social media, with some noting they had no plans to return.
Hope for a return to normal
Nevertheless, Guadalajara returned to its normal rhythm on Tuesday. Many businesses opened their doors for the first time in two days and the streets were full of traffic.
Workers were busy refurbishing the exterior of the football stadium that will host World Cup matches. Cyclists cycled around outside the stadium and parents played with children in parks.
Heavily armed police and National Guard members roamed the city, a sign to some that the government had the situation under control.
Juan Carlos Pila, a 55-year-old taxi driver, rolled his eyes at reports of violence after waiting two days with his family for things to calm down. He said social media and local news outlets are exaggerating the extent of the violence.
“People have to come, man. Everyone’s welcome,” he said.
Others, like Maria Dolores Aguirre, simply hoped for the best. Aguirre runs a small corner story in the cobbled tourist town of Tapalpa, hidden in the mountains of Jalisco, where the Mexican army killed ‘El Mencho’.
Aguirre’s family business, which has been in business for more than 50 years, depends on the flow of tourists to the normally sleepy town. Now she fears that bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change cities like hers.
“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government will have to provide a lot of security. … The whole world just saw what happened and people will obviously think twice about coming.”
Associated Press writer María Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.
