Culiacán Unveils New Permit System for Cartel Turf War
Officials say the feud can continue once the appropriate forms are stamped, filed, and approved in triplicate.
Following days of mass protests demanding an end to the bloodshed gripping Culiacán, local officials unveiled what they called a civic solution: a licensing system requiring the two warring cartel factions to apply for a formal Violence Continuation Permit before resuming hostilities.
The proposed application asks factions to specify the intended location of any skirmish, describe expected property damage, and sign a pledge to reschedule shootouts that conflict with municipal street-cleaning days.
"We're just here to bring order and paperwork," said a representative of the newly created Violence Permitting Office, before excusing themselves to process a backlog of turf-war applications.
Protesters who had gathered demanding an outright halt to the violence expressed mixed feelings about the plan, noting that a properly filed dispute is still a dispute, just now with a reference number attached.
City officials say the permitting office will keep extended hours to meet demand, and have already begun drafting a companion form for factions who wish to formally withdraw a violence permit once filed.