2 Gunned down in central Mexico

Cuernavaca — Two people were killed and two others wounded Wednesday as the result of a shooting attack on a demonstration by street merchants here in the capital of the central Mexican state of Morelos.

The protesters, all members of the Mexico Workers Confederation (CTM), blocked streets around the state government building in Cuernavaca’s main square to demand they be included in talks to regularize street vending in the city’s historic district.

During the protest, the state secretary of Social Development, Gilberto Alcala, approached the demonstrators and asked them to stand down, assuring them that there was a willingness on the part of authorities to incorporate them into the negotiations.

As Alcala was talking to the protesters, a young man dressed in black walked up to the group, pulled out a gun and fired directly at Jesus Garcia, leader of the merchants, who died later at a Cuernavaca hospital.

The attacker then shot Roberto Castrejon, who likewise died later. His brother, Jaciel Castrejon, was wounded while trying to defend Roberto.

Both men are sons of Roberto Castrejon Trujillo, the representative of a merchants organization.

EFE saw journalist Rene Perez, who was reporting on the protest, shot in the lower back.

The attacker continued to fire shots as he ran from the scene with police and protesters in hot pursuit. He was finally captured and held inside the government building until state police came to take him away.

Roberto Castrejon Trujillo blamed the attack on the son of Bulmaro Hernandez Juarez, also known as “Ben Hur,” leader of a breakaway faction of the CTM that is vying for a presence in the historic center of Cuernavaca.

Authorities have not offered any information about possible motives behind the attack.

Jesus Garcia was the father of Juan Manuel Garcia Bejarano, a businessman who was fatally shot during Cuernavaca’s annual Spring Fair in April 2017.

More than once, attempts by Mexican authorities to crack down on street vendors have led to violence. The most notable episode was in 2006, when one person was killed, dozens injured and more than 200 suspects arrested following two days of disturbances in neighboring towns near the capital.