CARLOS R. MENÉNDEZ LOSA
A Merida He was attracted by the irregular boom in the real estate business, which he took advantage of, through front companies, to launder money through the construction and sale of luxury buildings. In his native Sweden
He was accused of leading a dangerous gang dedicated, among other crimes, to drug and weapons trafficking, extortion, threats, debt collection and contract killings.
He lived among us for many years. He moved without difficulty through Yucatán, particularly through its “very safe” capital. They arrested him in the company of a sinister partner from Potosí who had been taking advantage of this supposed local “tranquility” for years. The company that united them offered the installation of security equipment. They knew their clients very well… and then assaulted them.“Mérida is in the crosshairs of international organized crime to expand its operations,” warns a revealing report from “Central 9 ” that Yucatan Diary
publishes this week. They are extremely attracted to the artificial “boom” of the construction industry. The harsh reality was exposed with the arrest of “El Griego”, leader of the Swedish criminal organization “Dalen”. Days before he had warned us, also in the pages of theDiary the former police commissionerManelich Castilla
: “Peace has turned Yucatán into a potential comfortable refuge for criminal leaders.” The “award-winning security model of Yucatán,” warned Castilla Craviotto, “is at risk of becoming obsolete in the face of the rapid modernization of organized crime.” For the public security expert, urban growth without order, in Merida and on the coast, it already affects peace in the entity. Calls on the state government to break inertia, undertake profound reengineering and prevent Yucatan be the “backyard” of crime established in tourist centers such asCancun
. Urges to maintain and strengthen citizen surveillance. Also for the Diary
We learned of the increase in extortion against established businesses, in particular restaurants that would have been subject to pressure from Health authorities in collusion with the unpunished “clan of the Moches.” “Sonora Grill”, one of those affected, insists that “the government lies to divert attention.” The authority, however, remains silent.
Among the main enemies of public security, corruption stands out, especially in police forces, public ministries and authorities in general, which leads to impunity and citizen distrust. When crimes are not punished, the population loses faith in justice and criminals act more freely, without restraints.
The lack of work, educational and well-being opportunities, as well as the loss of community values and the weakening of the family institution, also have an impact. These factors create environments where crime can be perceived as an alternative to survival. Without education in values and in the face of fragile legality, tolerance for corruption and violence grows.
THE COUNTERWEIGHTS
In populism, insecurity tends to increase due to the concentration of power in the Executive and the weakening of the institutions that guarantee the rule of law. With the dismantling of counterweights—such as the Judiciary and oversight agencies—impunity grows. Corruption is tolerated among those close to us, which erodes legality.
This creates favorable conditions for extortion to grow and become normalized, in the midst of a power vacuum that criminals take advantage of to establish territorial control, often in collusion with the authorities. Politicians and criminal groups cooperate to dominate territories or economic sectors, while citizens are forced to pay “dues.”
As has been proven during the seven years of the Obradorato, corruption is not a deviation, but a government tool that rewards loyalties and finances parallel power structures. Extortion, consequently, becomes an instrument of control. Corruption provides protection; extortion, resources and fear to maintain power. Insecurity is advancing in Mexico, particularly in the states governed by Morena. They confirm itSinaloa ,Tamaulipas ,Chiapas ,Tabasco , Quintana Roo
and now also Yucatán, although still in an incipient way. We had already been warned about this dangerous advance. The combination of strengthened organized crime and weakened institutions is lethal.
To the above we must add disorderly urban growth, one of the main challenges for security and sustainable development. The lack of planning and strict regulation favors the emergence of real estate mafias that take advantage of legal loopholes and collusion with authorities to speculate and launder money. The danger grows.
PROPAGANDA Pressured, it seems, by the facts, the Governor Huacho Díaz resorts again this week to the propaganda strategy by highlighting his visit to the federal secretary of Security,Omar García Harfuch
. He assures that they met to “strengthen the cooperation mechanisms, with the aim of maintaining the high standards that prevail in Yucatán.”
Security—the governor emphasizes—“is the foundation of the economic and social development of the entity.” He insists on rhetoric, but avoids delving into Manelich Castilla’s serious warnings. What worries Díaz Mena? What do you know or what do you not know? What should you inform us about? Are you aware of the network of complicities that already reaches state security forces? By concentrating power and eroding checks and balances, the regime weakens the rule of law, essential to sustain the conditions presumed by Governor Huacho Díaz. The setback in this area is considerable in Mexico, as confirmed this week by the report of the Rule of Law Index 2025of the “World Justice Project
”, which once again disapproves of the country.
An effective rule of law – the report indicates – “reduces corruption, protects people from unjust acts and combats poverty.” In Mexico, however, the trend goes in the opposite direction: “the rise of authoritarianism and the weakness of institutional counterweights explain part of the deterioration” in legality. The decline since 2018 is, indeed, worrying.
What can be done to prevent Yucatán from continuing to become a comfortable refuge for criminals, so that Mérida does not continue to be targeted by international organized crime? Social pressure and citizen surveillance are key. Having reliable information is essential. Supervising the public service and holding rulers accountable is not optional.
When society is vigilant, crime and impunity lose ground. Where there is a united and active community—as Manelich Castilla recommends—there is less room for violence. The warning signs are going off once again. Citizen participation stops organized crime, which thrives in the face of social indifference. We still have time.— Mérida, Yucatán direcciongeneral@grupomegamedia.mx / Special section on the website of theDiary : yucatan.com.mx(https://bit.ly/4diiiFP
)(* ) General Director of
Grupo Megamedia
What is the message of the writing?
The central message of the writing is an urgent and reasoned warning:
Yucatán, despite its reputation as a safe state, is already showing signs of infiltration by organized crime and institutional deterioration, driven by corruption, the lack of checks and balances and populism that weakens the rule of law.
The text maintains that the Yucatecan peace is fragile and that the combination of disorderly urban growth, impunity and political complacency can turn the region into a “comfortable refuge” for criminals, if action is not taken in time. It also denounces the use of official propaganda to hide or minimize the risks, while national indicators show a worrying setback in matters of justice and legality.
Finally, the message is also a call to society: security cannot depend only on the government. Citizen surveillance, social pressure and accurate information are essential to contain corruption and stop organized crime. In short, the writing affirms that it is still possible to preserve peace and order in Yucatán, but only if citizens assume their active role before it is too late.
The main points of the writing:
1) The case that reveals the threat:
Mérida’s real estate boom has attracted international organized crime, which uses front companies to launder money through the construction and sale of luxury properties.
The arrest of “El Griego”, leader of a Swedish criminal gang, shows that Yucatán is already in the crosshairs of foreign organizations.
The “tranquility” of the entity is being taken advantage of by criminals who take refuge under the appearance of legality.
2) Corruption and institutional decomposition:
Corruption in police forces and authorities fosters impunity and erodes citizen trust.
The lack of opportunities, the loss of community values and the weakening of the family create conditions that normalize violence.
Disorderly urban growth and real estate speculation aggravate insecurity and open space for local mafias.
3) The effect of populism and the weakening of the rule of law:
In populist regimes, the concentration of power and the erosion of checks and balances—such as the Judiciary—weaken legality and increase impunity.
Corruption stops being a deviation and becomes a tool of political control.
The institutional deterioration of Mexico, confirmed by the “World Justice Project 2025”, shows a serious decline since 2018.
4) Yucatan at risk:
States governed by Morena, such as Sinaloa, Chiapas, Tabasco or Quintana Roo, already suffer high levels of insecurity; Yucatán begins to show similar symptoms.
The combination of strengthened crime and weak institutions is a direct threat to Yucatecan peace.
5) Call to citizen action:
The state government responds with propaganda, but avoids addressing the warnings of experts like Manelich Castilla.
Security does not depend only on the authorities: it requires vigilance, participation and social pressure.
A united and active community can stop crime and contain corruption.
We still have time to prevent Yucatán from becoming a refuge for organized crime.
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