These adorable kids are holding toys bizarrely handed out by a violent Mexican drug cartel which remains involved in a bitter turf war with rivals.
Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Jalisco Nueva Generacion) said the gifts were to help celebrate Children’s Day.
The cartel which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), who is one of Mexico’s most-wanted drug lords, is currently in a bitter turf war with the La Nueva Plaza cartel for control of the city of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Michoacan.
They posted details of the gifts to the kids on social media, with their press department saying that the toys had been handed out in the communities of Cordoba, Yanga, Cuitlahuac, Omealca, Tezonapa, Orizaba, mariano Escobe, Ixtaczoquitlan, Fortin, Nogales, Rio Blanco, Camerino Z., Mendoza, La Perla, Atzacan and Amatlan de los Reyes, all of them in the state of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico.
Netizens shared pictures where some of the recipients of the toys can be seen holding bags with the message: “Happy Children’s Day courtesy of the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion)”.
It also included a message from cartel leader El Mencho who pointed out that, just as they do every year, they gave toys to the poorer areas of the state.
He said: “The CJNG firm, this year like every year, on the day of children and wise men, has taken in hand the task of giving toys to the communities most forgotten by the authorities. Seeing the happiness this has brought to the children who are our future motivates us to keep thinking of those who are most in need of our help, our task is to take care and defend the rights of working people.”
It is not the first time the alleged drug Lord has given toys in Veracruz as it is also mentioned that in the festivity of the Wise Men (6th January) they also gave toys to the children of Campo hico, Campo Grande, Zapopan and Ixtaczoquitlan.
Cuitlahuac Garcia Jimenez, the governor of the state, said he had demanded local police find out what relationship the cartel had with these communities and what police were doing about what was going on.Â
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
