(CJNG) during Holy Saturday celebrations on April 19.
In the videos, locals are seen splashing holy water on more than a dozen armed drug cartel members riding in pickup trucks—part of a traditional Holy Week custom in the region. Live music is also heard in the background. Some of the gunmen wore vests labeled with CJNG insignia.
Pobladores de Huajúmbaro, Michoacán, creyeron que era buena idea celebrar el Sábado de Gloria con quienes han sido y seguirán siendo sus verdugos, el CJNG. Los criminales ya no usan la clandestinidad, saben que la base social los apoya, no los delata y hasta les aplaude.
— ar1zZ17 (@Ar1zZ17) April 20, 2025
¡HORROR! pic.twitter.com/1hZMiwozUT
Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla condemned the events on Monday, calling them part of a cartel propaganda strategy aimed at appearing close to local communities. "It's tragic that people are celebrating with their own captors," he said at a press conference.
Ramírez Bedolla emphasized that criminal groups use such interactions to gain social support while continuing to engage in extortion, kidnappings, and killings. "It's a tragedy," he added. The governor also confirmed that the incident is under official investigation.
State authorities criticized the normalization of criminal presence in everyday life, warning that the footage could be considered glorification of crime and violence. "This is also a form of criminal apologia," Ramírez Bedolla suggested.
The gathering reportedly took place near the San Isidro Labrador parish on the San José-Huajúmbaro highway. Although no violence occurred during the event, public outcry focused on how deeply entrenched criminal groups like CJNG have become in some Michoacán communities, using social engagement as a tactic for control.
While state authorities have confirmed the presence of CJNG members at the celebration, local authorities previously denied the occurrence of the event, saying there was no evidence that the celebration shown in the videos took place in Huajúmbaro.
In an interview with El Sol de Morelia on Sunday, the mayor of Hidalgo, Jeovana Mariela Alcántara Baca, said that she did not recognize the town in which the videos were filmed. She added that her office had not received any reports from residents or police in the area about the event.
Meanwhile, the Mexican government has launched a campaign against cartel culture, with some states banning the public performance of narcocorridos, a genre that glorifies cartel culture in the country.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum recently took the effort a step forward and announced the "Mexico Canta" (Mexico Sings) contest, its motto being "for peace and against addictions."
Sheinbaum promoted the contest in a video. "You probably heard this musical genre," she said, showing a cellphone with videos and the word "corridos."
"Many of them feature content referencing violence, drugs, they speak poorly about women," she added. "That's why this initiative called 'Mexico Canta' comes up. If you're a singer, have a group, are a solo artist, sign in. Many companies participate, both from Mexico and the U.S. They can be songs about love, despair, Mexico, many other contents," she added.
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