On Saturday, thousands marched in Mexico City against the president’s campaign to curb gang violence, with 120 people—mostly police—reported injured.
Protests in Mexico City
BBC reports that protestors removed barriers in front of the National Palace, where President Claudia Sheinbaum resides. Some carried banners stating “We are all Carlos Manzo” and wore cowboy hats in tribute to the slain mayor of Uruapan. More than 120 people were injured, the majority of whom were police officers, and twenty individuals were arrested by authorities.
120 Injured, 20 Arrested
The same account notes that the demonstration was organized by youth groups and supported by residents protesting the high-profile crime of Uruapan’s mayor Carlos Manzo’s murder in early November. Demonstrators called for decisive action against drug cartels and demanded an armed crackdown on cartel members terrorizing the country.
Situation in Mexico
In her first year in office, Sheinbaum’s approval rating remains above 70 percent, yet critics argue her efforts against drug trafficking are insufficient. The 2025 Mexican Peace Index, prepared by the Institute of Economics and Peace, identifies organized crime groups—especially those supplying fentanyl to the United States—as the main drivers of extreme violence, also engaged in illegal arms and human trafficking along the Mexico‑U.S. border. Peace levels in Mexico slipped by 0.7 percent in 2024, and since 2015 the national peace index has declined by 13.4 percent. The 2024 election year was the most violent for politicians in Mexico’s history, with at least 201 politically motivated killings reported.