The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa has canceled the public independence day celebration in his state’s capital that had been scheduled for Monday night.
The announcement from Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha comes during a wave of violence in the capital Culiacán.
In a video on social media, Rocha said he is “honoring my duty and my responsibility to act in the strict interest of the families of the state.”
Communities in Mexico typically gather on the eve of Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16, to reenact the call to arms that started the Mexican War of Independence in 1810.
That celebration, known as El Grito, is only open to state officials in Culiacán this year. For the second year in a row, public festivities have been canceled.
It’s been just over a year since the capture of former Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, which triggered an ongoing wave of violence in the city between rival cartel factions.
