‘Scary and chaotic’ – this is how South African expats living in Mexico described the violence that erupted after the February 22 killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. 

He was also known as El Mencho and was Mexico’s most wanted man, reports the BBC. 

El Mencho was seriously injured in a firefight between his bodyguards and the military commandos deployed to capture him. 

He died while the military was transporting him from the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, to the capital, Mexico City. 

After his death, the cartel, reportedly one of the most powerful and feared criminal organisations in Mexico, retaliated by torching businesses and erecting burning blockades. 

Although peace has been restored to the affected areas, South Africans are remaining vigilant.

However, there are also concerns about the Fifa World Cup, which is set to take place in Mexico, the US and Canada in June and July. 

Extremely scary 

Nicole Mpetsheni is from Johannesburg. She now lives in Querétaro and has been living in the country for six years. 

“When the news of El Mencho’s death broke, I was at an expo with people from other states. People were panicking and it was extremely scary. The expo was 20 minutes away from the main town and to get home, we had to use the highway,” says Mpetsheni. 

Burning vehicles and stores 

She says they were told not to travel in their cars but to leave them at the convention venue because, in retaliation for his death, members of the cartel were burning vehicles. 

“We did not know how safe we were. The cartel was clearing out people from their vehicles and grocery stores before setting them alight,” she adds. 

Mpetsheni says her area was coded as a red zone. 

“We had some of our grocery stores that were burnt down. Businesses and roads were closed. There was a suspension on bus services and several trailers were set on fire, leading to the main capital, which is Mexico City,” she says. 

Lockdown 

She adds that they were on lockdown. 

“People were told to stay home. Schools and businesses closed as a precaution and bus services were temporarily suspended,” she says. 

“I was scared grocery stores would be burnt and we would not have access to food. Being a foreigner in another country, I did feel unsafe,” explains Mpetsheni. 

“Peace is now restored, but we still have the police patrolling the streets and the military is deployed to the areas most affected by the violence,” she adds. 

Cartels 

Louis Gerber, formerly from Pretoria, has been living in Saltillo since 1997. He works as a business consultant and owns an industrial services company. 

“The situation paralysed society for a couple of days; children were not able to go to school.  Banks and hotels were also closed,” he says. 

He adds that the violence was a major hit to the economy. 

“The area is a major tourist spot. People are cancelling their flights and not travelling because it is too dangerous. You never know what could happen,” adds Gerber. 

Violence 

He says everyone is on edge. 

“There is a concern from residents that the violence could possibly spill over to their regions. The situation caused delays in the delivery of goods. It kind of cut off the main arteries of goods and services coming from the US to Mexico and vice versa,” he explains. 

Weapons 

He says the cartel has influence and is equipped with weapons. 

“They have assault rifles and weapons. There is a bit of chaos and fear. There are South Africans living in that region and most have been safeguarded in their homes. They are not leaving the street,” he says. 

He adds that the Fifa World Cup is also set to take place in the country in just over three months. 

“There are talks that Fifa might decide Mexico is not safe and no games will be played here. This will be another hit to the economy,” says Gerber. 

World cup 

ESPN reported that Fifa president Gianni Infantino says the organisation was monitoring the situation in Mexico. 

“Of course, we are monitoring the situation in Mexico these days, but I want to say from the outset that we have complete confidence in Mexico, in its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and in the authorities, and we are convinced that everything will go as smoothly as possible,” he adds. 

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