As Mexican town mourns slain anti-gang leader, brother warns community would take up arms again
By MARK STEVENSON and EDUARDO VERDUGO
Associated Press
LA RUANA, Mexico (AP) — The younger brother of the slain leader of an armed civilian defense movement in Mexico is warning that he and others who fought with Hipólito Mora will take up arms again if the government does not provide swift justice. Mora led farmers and ranchers to expel the Knights Templar cartel from Michoacan state in 2013 and 2014. The state prosecutors’ office says he was killed Thursday when gunmen attacked his vehicle and a pickup truck carrying his bodyguards. The beloved lime grower-turned-vigilante leader inspires strong loyalty in the state.And much as they did a decade ago when Mora led an uprising, residents feel abandoned by the government to the whims of multiple criminal organizations.
