Palomas residents, tourists shrug at 20 bodies unearthed
This occurred very close to the US border.
PALOMAS, Mexico — The sour smell of death overpowered cool winter breezes that swept through a mass-grave site on the outskirts of this small border town Tuesday.
The site was abandoned one day after investigators unearthed 20 bodies from it. They left their blue and white latex gloves and crime scene tape strewn across the ranch, Rancho El Capricho, where the bodies once lay. The bodies were discovered early Sunday by the Mexican army.
Mexican authorities would not say if the victims were slain as part of the continuing drug war that has gripped the state of Chihuahua.
The bodies were found in 11 graves, each about four feet deep. Their identities and causes of death have not been determined, but officials said most of them were men.
[…]
A FOX News film crew investigates reports that 20 bodies were unearthed on a ranch in the outskirts of Palomas, Mexico, on Tuesday. There were 11 large graves from which Mexican investigators removed the remains. (photo from El Paso Times)
The article does not back the assertion in the headline. Here’s a resident:
One Palomas resident, a 39-year-old woman who did not want to be identified, said she was scared that her husband might be among the 20 found in the graves.Here’s a tourist:
“We come down here to see the dentist and my thought is, if we get down here early and leave by 2 p.m. then the drug lords won’t be up yet … We’re not afraid,” Green said.She says she’s not afraid, but she’ll be out of town hours before dark. Doesn’t sound like a shrug to me. Here’s the 27 year old current mayor:
About a year ago, in October 2009, the mayor of Palomas, Estanislao García, was abducted and killed following allegations that he was not doing his job, Chacón said.So why that headline? Is it part of the denial that’s endemic to those who want to keep going there? Are they trying to make us less sympathetic to the people who have to live there?
At least they did better than Reuters, which placed the scene about 1,000 miles east of the actual location.