Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, offered “full guarantees” for the safety of football fans at World Cup games in the violence-plagued city of Guadalajara.
Sheinbaum insisted there was “no risk” to fans visiting the city in June for four matches, in remarks coming after a wave of violence sparked by the military’s killing of drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera.
The leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the United States, was killed in a military operation some 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the Jalisco state capital, Guadalajara, on Sunday.
The cartel reacted with fury, engaging in firefights with security forces that left dozens dead across Mexico—both soldiers and cartel members—and sent tourists and residents fleeing for cover.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, declined to comment on the violence.
As calm returns, businesses in Jalisco are expected to reopen on Tuesday, with schools to follow suit on Wednesday.
Guadalajara is one of three Mexican cities that will host fixtures in the World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
