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DUKAS_136519494_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Mexican troops arrive in El Aguaje as part of efforts to wrestle back control of Mexico’s highly strategic hot lands from the drug cartels. Photograph: Emilio Espejel/The Guardian
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DUKAS_136519493_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Mexican troops arrive in El Aguaje as part of efforts to wrestle back control of Mexico’s highly strategic hot lands from the drug cartels. Photograph: Emilio Espejel/The Guardian
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DUKAS_136519507_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Mexican troops arrive in El Aguaje as part of efforts to wrestle back control of Mexico’s highly strategic hot lands from the drug cartels. Photograph: Emilio Espejel/The Guardian
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DUKAS_136519490_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Father Gilberto Vergara, a Catholic priest in the municipality to which El Limoncito belongs, said it was impossible to know how many lives had been lost in the ongoing battle for the region. Photograph: Emilio Espejel/The Guardian
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DUKAS_136519488_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A few miles out of town, hot land residents had built a roadside shrine to Jude the Apostle, the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
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DUKAS_136519504_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.In Aguililla, a picturesque town 25 miles south of Limoncito, troops had occupied the main plaza and were offering free haircuts and check-ups in a bid to win hearts and minds in a community for decades under cartel control.
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DUKAS_136519492_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.The abandoned home of a watermelon farmer in El Limoncito, a Mexican village destroyed by the arrival of the country’s drug conflict.
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DUKAS_136519505_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.The abandoned home of a watermelon farmer in El Limoncito, a Mexican village destroyed by the arrival of the country’s drug conflict.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519506_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.The abandoned home of a watermelon farmer in El Limoncito, a Mexican village destroyed by the arrival of the country’s drug conflict.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519456_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A vehicle blocks the rural road out of El Limoncito towards a region soldiers warned had been peppered with land mines by cartel operatives.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519503_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Abandoned homes in the Mexican village of El Limoncito – a rural backwater that has been transformed into a ghost town by Mexico’s drug conflict and a deadly struggle for power between two cartels.
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DUKAS_136519502_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Inside a Kindergarten over a whiteboard, an intruder has scribbled a tribute to one of Mexico’s most wanted men. “Pura Gente Del Sen?or de los Gallos,” it says, in reference to El Mencho’s nickname: “The Lord of the Roosters”.
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DUKAS_136519453_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Graffiti pays homage to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation cartel in an abandoned home in El Limoncito.
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DUKAS_136519454_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A vehicle blocks the rural road out of El Limoncito towards a region soldiers warned had been peppered with land mines by cartel operatives.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519489_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A vehicle blocks the rural road out of El Limoncito towards a region soldiers warned had been peppered with land mines by cartel operatives.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519484_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Sun-light pours through dozens of bullet holes in El Limoncito’s small Catholic church – one of dozens of buildings that was deserted when residents fled deadly clashes between cartel gunmen for control of this strategic region in western Mexico. .
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DUKAS_136519487_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.An image of Santa Muerte, the goddess of death widely revered by Mexican drug traffickers, in an abandoned cartel safehouse in the town of Aguaje in Mexico’s Michoaca?n state.
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DUKAS_136519423_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A sign with bullet impact holes arches over a two-lane road welcoming El Aguaje, Mexico visitors. Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519426_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.An abandoned primary school in El Limoncito that found itself on the front line of Mexico’s narco wafr in 2019 as two of the country’s biggest cartels battled for control of the highly strategic smuggling region Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519455_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Mexican troops occupy the bullet-riddled Revolution primary school in El Limoncito in an attempt to regain control of the area amidst a wave of violence. Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519483_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Mexican troops arrive in El Limoncito as part of efforts to wrestle back control of Mexico’s highly strategic hot lands from the drug cartels. Photograph: Emilio Espejel/The Guardian
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DUKAS_136519452_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.An abandoned primary school in El Limoncito that found itself on the front line of Mexico’s narco wafr in 2019 as two of the country’s biggest cartels battled for control of the highly strategic smuggling region Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519485_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Bullet-rifdled buldings in El Limoncito – a rural backwater that has been transformed into a ghost town by Mexico’s drug conflict.
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DUKAS_136519427_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A sign bid farewell to El Aguaje, with bullet impact holes arches over a two-lane road. Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519482_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A sign with bullet impact holes arches over a two-lane road welcoming El Aguaje, Mexico visitors. Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian.
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DUKAS_136519451_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.People dance during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519477_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.People dance during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519425_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.People dance during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519479_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A musician plays the Tuba during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519501_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.People during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519450_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Self-defense groups maintain surveillance at a checkpoint in the municipality of Tancitaro, Michoacan, as a protection measure for the avocado community that has suffered threats from criminal groups in recent years.
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DUKAS_136519500_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Self-defense groups maintain surveillance at a checkpoint in the municipality of Tancitaro, Michoacan, as a protection measure for the avocado community that has suffered threats from criminal groups in recent years.
© Emilio Espejel / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_136519478_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Residents from Tancitaro during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519449_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.A man wears a pistol chain during February 14 in a regional party in the municipality of Tancitaro, Mexico. Tancitaro is known for providing the biggest avocado production in Michoacan state.
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DUKAS_136519424_EYE
Battle-scarred ghost town bears mute witness to Mexico’s drug wars. The army has reclaimed the village school that became a battlefield but few believe gangs’ bloody reign has ended
Those who knew El Limoncito remember a welcoming and industrious community of lime farmers who poured their sweat into the soils of Mexico’s sun-baked backlands in search of a better life. Then the drug conflict exploded and everything changed. The village’s primary school found itself on the frontline of a six-hour Monday morning gunfight that sparked a ferocious two-year struggle for control of the area. As gunmen from two rival cartels – armed with .50-calibre sniper rifles and improvised tanks – fought pitched battles for El Limoncito’s dusty streets, locals fled, leaving behind everything they had. “It was all-out war,” remembered one former resident, who asked not to be named for fear of being killed. El Limoncito’s deserted schoolhouse became a base for fighters from one of the warring factions – then a blood-spattered graveyard after their enemies stormed its classrooms in an attempt to retake the village. Family homes became makeshift forts used to spray invaders with gunfire. The pale yellow chapel was peppered with bullets and robbed of its flock.Hipo?lito Mora, a lime farmer who became famous for leading a paramilitary uprising against drug cartels in west Mexico nearly a decade ago, says he believes the security situation is even worse there today as organized crime groups struggle for control. Photograph by: Emiliano Espejel / The Guardian
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DUKAS_125868644_EYE
‘Did they give life? No! So how can they take it?’: on the frontline of knife crime As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset
ÔDid they give life? No! So how can they take it?Õ: on the frontline of knife crime
As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset by violence can still provide hope.
Pictured: Ciaran Thapar & Jhemar Jonas.
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DUKAS_125868641_EYE
‘Did they give life? No! So how can they take it?’: on the frontline of knife crime As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset
ÔDid they give life? No! So how can they take it?Õ: on the frontline of knife crime
As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset by violence can still provide hope.
Pictured: Ciaran Thapar & Jhemar Jonas.
© Cian Oba-Smith / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_125868638_EYE
‘Did they give life? No! So how can they take it?’: on the frontline of knife crime As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset
ÔDid they give life? No! So how can they take it?Õ: on the frontline of knife crime
As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset by violence can still provide hope.
Pictured: Ciaran Thapar & Jhemar Jonas.
© Cian Oba-Smith / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_125868639_EYE
‘Did they give life? No! So how can they take it?’: on the frontline of knife crime As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset
ÔDid they give life? No! So how can they take it?Õ: on the frontline of knife crime
As stabbings surged across London, Ciaran Thapar became a mentor to young boys whose lives were in danger. One of his mentees, Jhemar Jonas, showed him how a life beset by violence can still provide hope.
Pictured: Ciaran Thapar & Jhemar Jonas.
© Cian Oba-Smith / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_124971257_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_124971261_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_124971269_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_124971264_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_124971240_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Ce?lia Regina Homem de Mello, the 78-year-old grandmother of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, a 22-year-old gang member of was gunned down last Thursday during the most deadly police operation in Rio history.
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
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DUKAS_124971254_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Ce?lia Regina Homem de Mello, the 78-year-old grandmother of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, a 22-year-old gang member of was gunned down last Thursday during the most deadly police operation in Rio history.
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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DUKAS_124971266_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
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© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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DUKAS_124971284_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
DUKAS_124971259_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Ce?lia Regina Homem de Mello, the 78-year-old grandmother of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, a 22-year-old gang member of was gunned down last Thursday during the most deadly police operation in Rio history.
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
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DUKAS_124971262_EYE
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest
‘They came to kill’: Rio’s deadliest favela police raid sparks calls for change. Rio’s favelas have suffered countless horrors since the drug conflict began to intensify in the 1980s and the carnage in Jacarezinho has caused a wave of protest.
Friends and relatives attend the funeral of Isaac Pinheiro de Oliveira, 22, on Sunday. Oliveira was one of 29 people killed when police raided one of Rio's largest favelas last Thursday in what was the most deadly police operation in the city's history.
The coffin of Bruno Brasil, a 37-year-old Jacarezinho resident, before his burial on Sunday. Police claim all of the 28 victims were suspected criminals but relatives and locals said Brasil was a worker who had absolutely no involvement in crime and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time
© Alan Lima / Guardian / eyevine
Contact eyevine for more information about using this image:
T: +44 (0) 20 8709 8709
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(FOTO: DUKAS/EYEVINE)
© Guardian / eyevine. All Rights Reserved. -
