UP Ibalon Bicol

Gang-instigated riot in Durango prison in the Northern part of Mexico resulted in the death of 19 prisoners and the wounding of at least 20 more on Friday, August 14, 2009. Murders in Mexican jails left about a hundred dead inmates in the last few months.

Threatening the peace and stability of Mexico, the recurrent violence is related to the drug wars that had been raging in the area. It brought fatalities of about 6,000 civilians last year and another 1,000 this year.

"Durango has been the scene of clashes between the Gulf and Sinaloa drug cartels in recent months. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has declared war on the illegal narcotic organisation in Mexico, deploying 40,000 troops to fight the cartels." ---BBC News (08/15/09)

The death of prisoners is the latest of the ongoing fight for dominance of narcotics peddlers. Drug gangs are responsible for staging bloody killings and the staging of jail break-ins to help jailbirds bolt out from prison. (Photo Credit: Dana Gonzales) =0=

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