FIFA chief Gianni Infantino told AFP on Tuesday that he felt “very safe” about holding World Cup matches in Mexico, in his first comments since the violence sparked by the killing of a drug cartel leader.
– I am very sure, everything is fine. It will be spectacular, Infantino said in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, two days after cartel members wreaked havoc, including in the home city of Guadalajara, due to the murder of their leader, Nemesis “El Mencho” Oseguera.
Mexico is one of three host countries for the World Cup from June 11 to July 19, along with the USA and Canada.
The city of Guadalajara and the entire country were rocked by violence after the assassination of the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). During the arrest operation and clashes with security forces, at least 74 people were killed, only one of them civilians, as residents and tourists fled from armed cartel members who blocked roads in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states and burned vehicles and businesses.
“No risk” for fans
– I feel like we are in a war zone – said engineer Javier Perez, 41, in Puerto Vallarta, one of Jalisco’s tourist towns, surrounded by burned cars.
FIFA previously declined to comment on the situation, while Infantino told AFP he was optimistic at a Colombian Football Federation event.
The Portuguese Football Federation, however, expressed doubt as to whether their team will play a friendly match on March 29 in Mexico City, stating that it is “closely monitoring the sensitive situation”. The safety of players, coaches and fans will be a key factor.
The coach of the Mexican national team, Javier Aguirre, was more optimistic: “Everything is going according to plan.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum also assured the public that there was “no risk” to fans and that the situation was “gradually returning to normal”.
Matches and security
Guadalajara will host four group stage matches, including one of the most anticipated first round matches between Uruguay and Spain. Together with Monterrey, the city will also host the qualifying tournament for the last two places in the World Cup.
Jalisco governor Pablo Lemus dismissed the possibility of Guadalajara being excluded from the tournament due to security concerns, saying there was “absolutely no risk”.
All eyes will be on the state of Queretaro on Wednesday when Mexico play Iceland in a friendly. The championship game in Queretaro was suspended earlier due to violence.
Impact on industry
Oseguera was one of the most wanted men in the US and Mexico, with a $15 million reward. He founded the CJNG, which since 2009 has grown into one of the most powerful and violent cartels, surpassing the Sinaloa cartel Joaquin Guzman.
Mexico confirmed that it was captured with the help of “additional information” from US authorities, but claims that US forces were not involved in the raid.
The violence also affected business: Japanese carmaker Honda suspended operations at its plant in Guadalajara, saying it was suspending operations “as a precaution” while it assessed the security situation.
Mexico is an important automotive hub with several major manufacturers, including Ford, General Motors, BMW and Audi, producing vehicles for the North American and European markets.
(Vijesti.ba)
