The organization defines a massacre as any violent act in which three or more people die at the same time and in the same place.
These massacres are mainly concentrated in municipalities such as Celaya, Irapuato, Salamanca, León, Apaseo el Alto, and Apaseo el Grande, although cases have also been reported in towns such as Pueblo Nuevo, San Felipe, Valle de Santiago, and Acámbaro.
“Salamanca is where the most massacres have been reported in 2025, with two cases. In the rest of the state, they are more dispersed, which reflects more widespread violence,” the researcher explained.
Canjura Luna explained that the pattern of violence is due to a combination of realignments between criminal groups, targeted attacks, and the state’s weak capacity to contain them.
“More than a government strategy, what we see is a lack of strength from the State to maintain a presence and reduce violence. There have been attacks against businesses, discovery of clandestine graves, and multiple murders that could be due to internal conflicts between criminals,” he explained.
Armed individuals attacked the “Trébol de los Apaseos” (Crebol de los Apaseos), where food and candy businesses are located. Eight people were shot and three more were injured. Photo: Courtesy.
He also noted that Guanajuato is also one of the states where police forces have been hardest hit by organized crime, which has worsened the context of insecurity and further weakened institutional presence.
“Violence makes no distinctions; we have even seen victims in drug rehabilitation centers. There is a criminal strategy to control the territory, but also a clear absence of the State to prevent it,” he concluded.
Source: zonafranca
