MEXICO CITY.- The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaumassured this Friday that the advance of violence among young people, such as the murder of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzoallegedly at the hands of a minor under 17 years of age, is due to its historical abandonment and defended his security strategy that combines the strength of the State with social care.
“There were too many years, 36, of abandonment of young people,” said the president during her morning press conference, when asked about the responsible for the crime of the mayor that, according to the Michoacán Attorney General’s Officewas a 17 year old young man who was linked to a criminal group.
Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that the strategy against violence “is not only the presence of security forces, the strengthening of prosecutors’ offices, arrests,” but also “a content necessarily of attention to the causes.”
“No Mexican, well, no one wants young people to get close to criminal groups,” he added.
Nobody wants young people to get close to criminal groups, that is why the causes are addressed: president Claudia Sheinbaum. pic.twitter.com/IiqTeYxAAN
— JorgeArmandoRocha (@JorgeArmandoR_) November 7, 2025
“You have to get closer to young people”: Claudia Sheinbaum
The president defended the social prevention approach, including the approach adopted during the Government of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), in the face of criticism from the opposition.
“The right criticized a lot about hugging, not shooting, because they said it was hugging crime. False. Nobody ever raised that. The issue is that you have to get closer to young people. They called them ‘ninis’ (who do not study or work), they called them rejected. No,” he said.
And he pointed out that everything possible must be done so that no young person gets close to a criminal group, so the security strategy must be comprehensive.
“It has to have the formal part of the presence of the police, the National Guard, the presence of federal forces if necessary, intelligence, investigation, coordination, arrests, judicialization, but it has to pay attention to the causes. Embrace the young people,” he added.
Claudia Sheinbaum recognized that organized crime recruitment is fueled by the lack of opportunities, and warned about the economic mirage that crime offers.
“There must be more schools, there must be more attention, there must be more culture, there must be more sport, so that young people feel cared for and do not see an option in a criminal group. In reality, it seems like an option that gives them resources and in the end it is an option of death for all of them,” he stated.
Will formally announce plan
Likewise, he announced that next Sunday he will formally present the Michoacán Plan for Peace and Justicewhich, he said, has already been worked with mayors, teachers, churches and different social sectors.
In addition, he stressed that the presence of security forces in the entity will be maintained and reinforced. “We are not going to leave Michoacán. There will be a presence, there has been a presence in Michoacán.”
The murder of Manzo after a public Day of the Dead event in Uruapan has generated strong indignation in Michoacán, where protests and clashes have been reported between protesters and police forces.
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