OddsFrontThousands march in Culiacán demanding an end to Sinaloa cartel violence
The peace march marked two years of fighting between rival Sinaloa Cartel factions that has disrupted daily life in the state capital.
A city demands peace
Thousands of people marched through Culiacán, the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, on Sunday to demand security, justice and an end to the violence that has reshaped the city for two years. Participants dressed in white and included families, young people, business owners, civic organisations and religious representatives. The demonstration began with an outdoor Mass and proceeded peacefully toward the city centre, turning a broad cross-section of public frustration into a visible demand for authorities to restore ordinary life.
The march coincided with the second anniversary of the latest phase of conflict between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The confrontation pits the group associated with sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán against the faction aligned with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Their struggle has produced shootings, disappearances, road blockades and recurring interruptions to schools, commerce and transport. Organisers framed the demonstration as a refusal to accept fear and violence as permanent features of life in Culiacán.
Why the conflict has endured
The fighting intensified after Zambada was taken into United States custody in 2024, upsetting the cartel’s internal balance and triggering a contest for territory and leadership. Security deployments and arrests have not brought a durable end to the violence. The conflict’s fragmented structure also makes a single decisive intervention unlikely: pressure on one faction can shift alliances or create openings for another armed group instead of restoring stable civilian control.
The United States’ May 2026 travel advisory underscores the wider security environment. It warns that violent crime, kidnapping and terrorist violence remain risks in Mexico, with threat levels varying sharply by state. That advisory does not independently verify Sunday’s turnout, but it confirms why sustained insecurity in cartel strongholds is a matter of concern beyond a single protest or local policing operation.
What comes next
The immediate test is whether federal and state authorities answer the march with measurable steps rather than another temporary deployment. Residents will be watching homicide and disappearance trends, the reopening and regular operation of businesses and schools, and whether investigations lead to prosecutions. The demonstration does not itself alter the balance between armed factions, but its breadth matters politically: it shows that Culiacán’s residents are seeking accountability from all levels of government while rejecting the normalisation of a conflict that has constrained the city since September 2024.