Mexican church officials have helped arrange a truce between 2 warring drug cartels

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnMEXICO CITY (AP) — Roman Catholic churchmen have helped arrange a truce between two warring drug cartels whose turf wars have blooded the state of Guerrero in southern Mexico, a priest said Thursday.It is the latest in a series of attempts by bishops and priests to get cartels to talk to each other in hopes of reducing bloody turf battles. The implicit assumption is that the cartels will divide up the territories where they charge extortion fees and traffic drugs, without so much killing.
Rev. José Filiberto Velázquez, who had knowledge of the negotiations but did not participate in them, said the talks involved leaders of the notoriously violent Familia Michoacana cartel and the Tlacos gang, which is also known as the Cartel of the Mountain.
“The armed conflict that existed in the area where the attacks have occurred has ceased,” Velázquez said, though he acknowledged the agreement “hangs by a thread” and depends on the will of the gang leaders.
He was referring to an area deep in the mountains where earlier this week a grisly video was posted on social media showing cartel gunmen shooting, kicking and burning the corpses of about 15 of their enemies.
Drug cartels in Mexico frequently make videos of dead or captured gang members to intimidate or threaten rivals. Local media identified the dead as gunmen for the La Familia cartel.
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