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What has Happened to SMA?


Jim Bowie

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Read in various Mexican Papers and Facebook posts about the terrible situations taking place in SMA and warnings to not go there, nor buy property there. People there are warned to shop, etc. in Queretaro. Seems the entire State of Guanajuato has become a dangerous place.

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Three cárteles are fighting over the plazo (the right to control the scene) in the state of Guanajuato.  The city of Guanajuato, the city of Celaya, and the city of SMA, have pretty much been under siege since late in 2018.   Mexicans and foreigners alike are avoiding Celaya due to the danger there.  The last word I heard from SMA (about 3 weeks ago) is that there have been 74 cártel-related killings there since January 1, 2019.  I'm sure that figure is higher now.  SMA's mayor called in the Mexican National Guard to help with the situation.  

Here's a link to a report on murders in the state of Guanajuato during JUST January 2019.  
https://www.thebajapost.com/2019/02/02/guanajuato-registered-275-homicides-during-the-month-of-january/

You'll find a lot of information on Google about killings in San Miguel and the rest of Guanajuato, but not much of the information is up to date.  The SMA government tried to quash mention of the problems.  https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/san-miguel-councilor-urges-keeping-quiet-about-bad-news/

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I'll have to pay more attention to the goings on in SMA. I already read the local 'List', comprised of 99% gringos and gringas, daily but I hardly ever read of much violence. I did see some rumblings of people unhappy because the mayor tried to cover up. That article suggests very high.... to my eyes.... killings in Celaya and Irapuato etc in January but only 1 in SMA. That (SMA death) doesn't fit my definition of being 'under siege' there. I have friends there and none of them are signaling much change in death statistics. Now traffic.... that's another issue.

 

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13 hours ago, RickS said:

I'll have to pay more attention to the goings on in SMA. I already read the local 'List', comprised of 99% gringos and gringas, daily but I hardly ever read of much violence. I did see some rumblings of people unhappy because the mayor tried to cover up. That article suggests very high.... to my eyes.... killings in Celaya and Irapuato etc in January but only 1 in SMA. That (SMA death) doesn't fit my definition of being 'under siege' there. I have friends there and none of them are signaling much change in death statistics. Now traffic.... that's another issue.

 

Just as any "Gringo Enclave" in Mexico, no one wants to report the truth about violence and killings in their "paradise", or else values, buyers, etc. will dry up. That should not be a surprise to anyone here who does not have their head stuck in the sand. Deny, deny, deny ! 

 

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Three or 4 years ago , a ceramist from our school went to speak to artisans in Guanajuato about kiln and told them she was working for the National School of Ceramics.. The artisans called Tapalpa and asked about the school. A clerck there said there was not any such school and the woman was greeted by cops who detained her until they found out that there was a school.. That was about 4 years ago , the situation was already tense.. It does not sounf like it is improving.

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I hear that because of the government attack on those stealing gasoline (around Salamanca, Gto. area, etc.) those sources of revenue have dried up, so these "gangs" have been hurting for money. As a result, they have spread out into extortion, drugs, kidnappings, and home invasions. Kinda what a lot of people say will happen when hard drugs are legalized and the drug revenue dries up. Maybe we are getting a preview of things to come.

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On 8/28/2019 at 10:01 AM, RickS said:

I'll have to pay more attention to the goings on in SMA. I already read the local 'List', comprised of 99% gringos and gringas, daily but I hardly ever read of much violence. I did see some rumblings of people unhappy because the mayor tried to cover up. That article suggests very high.... to my eyes.... killings in Celaya and Irapuato etc in January but only 1 in SMA. That (SMA death) doesn't fit my definition of being 'under siege' there. I have friends there and none of them are signaling much change in death statistics. Now traffic.... that's another issue.

 

If you're not reading Spanish-language newspapers or watching Spanish-language news on TV, you're not getting the news.  You're getting the foreign community's view of the news.  Atención, the biggest English-language newspaper in SMA, isn't reporting murders.  Friends recently moved from SMA to Morelia after two men were shot to death, narco execution style, in front of their home.  Another friend moved back to the USA after a similar event near her house.  In early June, in a taxi near the centro, on the way to the SMA bus station, I personally saw men from SEMEFO (forensic medicine, i.e. the coroner's office) haul a body out of a gully where it had been tossed after having been murdered.  In July, 3 women (including two adolescents) eating at a taco stand not far from centro were killed, the innocent victims of an automatic weapon shootout between rival gangs.  One of the adolescents was the daughter of an employee of a foreign woman who owns a business in SMA; that incident affected the foreign community, so it was widely talked about on FB.   The Mexican news reported in Mexico News Daily is news "lite", if you know what I mean.  As you mention, the Civil list does not reflect life in the Mexican community in SMA. 

Traffic is heavy, but no one is dying in traffic jams.  It's unconscionable to make light of what's going on in SMA.  Remember when 19 young men were killed in Ajijic, just a few years ago?  What if someone had said then that traffic was the real issue?

Read and listen in Spanish, talk seriously to Mexicans, and you'll get a better understanding of the siege in San Miguel.

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" It's unconscionable to make light of what's going on in SMA.  "

Liana "C", you are barking up the wrong tree. I have no reason to make light of anything Mexico-wise, much less murders. My comments were speaking from my perspective, without living there, but visiting and listening to the chatter on Civil_List and info from friends. Those 'Civil' people will jump on anything that is out of the normal and shag it to death.... but of course aren't really 'in the trenches'.  You are much closer to the problem and also speak/read Spanish.

You have also misconstrued a tongue-in-cheek comment about 'traffic' and turned it into an unfair indictment of me for your benefit. Shame on you for attempting to make my comment a serious statement about a serious problem. "Under Seige"... maybe so. Doesn't fit my description but to each his/her own.

 

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10 hours ago, RickS said:

" It's unconscionable to make light of what's going on in SMA.  "

Liana "C", you are barking up the wrong tree. I have no reason to make light of anything Mexico-wise, much less murders. My comments were speaking from my perspective, without living there, but visiting and listening to the chatter on Civil_List and info from friends. Those 'Civil' people will jump on anything that is out of the normal and shag it to death.... but of course aren't really 'in the trenches'.  You are much closer to the problem and also speak/read Spanish.

You have also misconstrued a tongue-in-cheek comment about 'traffic' and turned it into an unfair indictment of me for your benefit. Shame on you for attempting to make my comment a serious statement about a serious problem. "Under Seige"... maybe so. Doesn't fit my description but to each his/her own.

 

RickS, as is often the case on the Internet, it was impossible to see that you were tongue-in-cheek about the traffic.  I'm sorry I missed that.   And for my benefit?  I can't imagine how I could benefit from any of this. 

What's happening in the state of Guanajuato is very similar to what happened starting in 2006 in the state of Michoacán: narco-power-related mayhem that destroyed families and seriously harmed everyone in my state.  It hurts my heart and soul to see what's going on now, in a state that borders mine, and to see that others live right now in denial of the truth is heartbreaking. 

YMMV, of course. 

  

 

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11 hours ago, RickS said:

" It's unconscionable to make light of what's going on in SMA.  "

Liana "C", you are barking up the wrong tree. I have no reason to make light of anything Mexico-wise, much less murders. My comments were speaking from my perspective, without living there, but visiting and listening to the chatter on Civil_List and info from friends. Those 'Civil' people will jump on anything that is out of the normal and shag it to death.... but of course aren't really 'in the trenches'.  You are much closer to the problem and also speak/read Spanish.

You have also misconstrued a tongue-in-cheek comment about 'traffic' and turned it into an unfair indictment of me for your benefit. Shame on you for attempting to make my comment a serious statement about a serious problem. "Under Seige"... maybe so. Doesn't fit my description but to each his/her own.

 

From the way I read your comments, looks like she is "spot on" with her observations. Caught you with your panties down and now you are again trying to weasel out of it by blaming her. Man up sometimes and stop being a child that can't always have his way.

 

 

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" From the way I read your comments....."

Well, Oklahoma/Texas man, too bad about your reading capabilities.... or should I say your assumptions.

"Caught you with your panties down.... again trying to weasel out....man up and stop being a child".  Now there's some serious adult writing!

 

 

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On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:18 PM, Hud said:

From the way I read your comments, looks like she is "spot on" with her observations. Caught you with your panties down and now you are again trying to weasel out of it by blaming her. Man up sometimes and stop being a child that can't always have his way.

 

 

You seem to catch a lot of people with "their panties down".  Very good luck and lots of glee for your persuasion of persona.

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