Bernardo Bravo denounced organized crime extortion in Michoacan’s citrus industry.

On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised justice in the killing of Bernardo Bravo, president of the Association of Citrus Growers of the Apatzingan Valley in Michoacan.

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“There must be justice in this case, and the entire security cabinet is supporting the state attorney general’s office and the government of Michoacan to find those responsible,” she said, adding that the lemon growers’ leader’s death is “very sad and regrettable.”

On Monday, authorities in Michoacan reported Bravo’s death after he was found dead inside his vehicle on the road leading to the community of Los Tepetates. His body showed signs of violence.

In recent months, Bravo had led demonstrations against organized crime’s extortion of the lemon-growing sector. In February, he reported receiving threats from criminal groups.

The text reads, “Bernardo Bravo, the only public voice of protest for hundreds of lemon growers in Apatzingán, was murdered. He was kidnapped, threatened, and shot. He had recently called for protests against the lemon coyotes. Who killed him? This is the last news of him.”

Later, at the end of September, Bravo said that lemon producers were “permanently held hostage” by the fees imposed by organized crime for their harvests.

On Tuesday, the Mexican Security Secretariat announced the arrest of Rigoberto “N,” allegedly involved in extortion and the collection of criminal fees in Michoacan. He is believed to be linked to Bravo’s killing.

In Apatzingan, the citrus industry faces extortion from criminal organizations such as Los Viagras, Los Blancos de Troya, Los Caballeros Templarios, and the Cartel de Acahuato.

Michoacan, in western Mexico, leads the nation in the production of Mexican lemons, with an annual harvest of around 700,000 tons of the citrus fruit cultivated on 67,000 hectares by 3,504 producers.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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