Thousands demand end to violence in Mexican cartel hotspot

Residents of Culiacán have been caught up in this internecine war.Not only has the number of murders and disappearances shot up in the state but also those of extortions and robberies, official figures suggest.Sunday's protest was organised by relatives of victims, local businesses, civil society groups and the Catholic church.Businessman Sergio Esquer told AFP news agency that more than 5,000 businesses had closed since the start of the feud. "That's the tragedy Sinaloa is experiencing," Esquer, who is a leader in the centre-left opposition party Movimiento Ciudadano, said. The event started with a Mass in which the bishop of Culiacán called on members of the warring groups to put an end to their violence."Stop, look at what's happening, look at the affected families, look at the young people and at our city. No amount of power, of money, territory or ambition is worth more than a human life," he said. Among those who attended the protest were relatives of a one-year-old boy who died after being hit by a bullet in the head during a shootout in the city last week.