he Assassination of Mayor Carlos Manzo The matter was not limited to unleashing massive marches and demanding justice in the country UruapanBut it also highlighted the personal and collective wounds that violence leaves behind on populations.
The testimony of Liliana Michel, a young Uruguayan woman marked by the loss of her father and several relatives, quickly spread on social networks as a preliminary image of the normalization of terror in the country. Michoacán.
In an interview with YouTube Eva Maria BeristainFrom the social noise channel, Liliana Michelle She shared weight in front of the cameras Normalization of violence in Uruapan and the mark the tragedy left on his personal history.
She said in the video that she decided to go alone to the march for Carlos Manzo, because her family and friends did not want to accompany her, but she wanted to do it as a form of remembrance and also private mourning.
“Good I experienced something similar with my father, but they never made my father move. Almost the same thing happened to him. They killed him here in Uruapan. My father was devoted to avocados. You came to dinner at a place that was not the right place. At that very moment they were about to kill the owner of the establishment, but there they caught her against everyone who was dining. “My father was the only remaining witness. They shot him in the back.”
But Liliana’s case is not isolated. He says the violence has chained his family: “It has become normal for me. They are like three uncles, four and my father. My uncles were good people. My aunt has been kidnapped. I actually keep that in mind, yeah, it’s normal, but at certain times I’m like, well, no, it’s not normal. “I feel my emotions and my sadness, but life goes on,” he says.
Liliana’s grief has gone beyond grief. After her father was killed, the young woman went through deep crises Anxiety and depression This greatly affected their mental health and daily life. The anxiety manifested itself physically, resulting in anxiety attacks self harm And frustration, which left clear marks on her body and put her in a daily struggle to regain emotional stability.
Facing impunity, she says her family never received justice: “Accordingly, they were arrested, but since my mother did not want to go because she saw them… They were released due to lack of evidence. “They told me this could happen to anyone and it’s best not to know about it.”
For Liliana, the culture of fear changed the constraints and the way she dealt with pain in silence, in part to protect her mother: “Here It’s normal to lose your family“Not even children are saved anymore… I take care of my things and do not tell anyone, not even my mother, for the same reason that I do not want to see her suffer like I do.”
In the march, Liliana gives voice to the shared pain felt by those who have lost loved ones and who see tragedy repeated in their city: “What just happened with Carlos Manzo, I felt was ugly, because it was almost similar to what happened to my father… He was also the head of the colony where we lived. Carlos was asking for help. “Help has not arrived, unfortunately, and we want justice because if not, we will have to accept Carlos’ words, take up arms ourselves, and achieve justice ourselves.”
In the same Ruido Social coverage, Eva Maria Beristain was able to interview Mme Angelica Diana RodriguezThe mayor’s mother, Carlos Manzo, shared an intimate view of her son’s social career.
He added: “Carlos is a great person, who has had character since he was a child, is very intelligent, and above all he has a big and noble heart… not because she is his mother, but because he has shown himself throughout his life and we see that in the affection of so many people.”
When Manzo was just 13 years old, he said, he saw a news story on television about a single mother who needed blood donors to save her triplets.
Convinced that he could help, he told his mother that he had this blood type. Determined, he went to the hospital to donate on an empty stomach, without even going to school that day. Inspired by this gesture, Carlos later organized a collection of diapers, bottles and toys among Uruapan schools, with which he raised support for the women and their daughters.
Over time, as an adult, he transferred this call for solidarity to public service and left a clear lesson among those around him: “He taught us to act with humility, honesty and integrity,” his mother said.
More voices collected in Uruapan demonstrate the depth of the collective wound left by the violence. Hugo Yaira 21-year-old young man, explains how in his city A “Guide to fear”He said: “Here everyone was subjected to assault, and some intimidation from criminals or the police. People die here every day, and it is a small town where two, three or four people die. Doctors, merchants, businessmen and now the president who gave us so much hope are killing us.”
He said that immediately after the death of the mayor Extortion and illegal charges returned to some police officers. Hugo describes that among young people, looking “too much” at someone can be considered risky, for fear of becoming a target for revenge.
Jessica Estrada33 years old, grew up in Uruapan, and gradually became accustomed to the violence until it stopped surprising him. Remember that when you were a child you could walk around at dawn without fear, but today fear rules most everyday decisions, like sending your children to school.
For her, the reason is the sum “We should not have lived through it,” but he stresses that it should not be normalized. In his environment, he considers that education and family values are still the last resort while institutions and the social fabric prevail.
Only in adolescence, Victoria Guadalupe11 years old, describes how his generation is He has lost the right to calm. The fear of going out to play in the street is constant and she knows that when faced with any task, she must be accompanied by an adult. Despite his young age, he remembers his closeness Carlos Manzo, whom she met and who encouraged her to study And obtain the diploma that he personally promised to provide.
And also from the field of work and society, Columbawho worked directly with the city’s mayor, highlights that Manzo’s moral example left a mark: his toughness, offering of support, and insistence on honesty made a lasting difference. He admits that many people live in fear after his absence.
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