By Ricardo Lezama 
The Business Community In Shock
In a shockingly brutal and cowardly act, Julio Almanza Armas, who served as president of Fecanaco (Federation of National Chambers of Commerce) in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, was shot and killed in a targeted assassination. The business leader was recognized for his courage in the face of adversity, standing up against various injustices locally. The death of Almanza is not only a massive blow to his family and professional sector, but also to the wider business community in Mexico.
Earlier this week, Mexican corporate executives denounced that they were being extorted by drug gangs in the region. For instance, FEMSA which owns the ubiquitous OXXO chain of convenience stores, announced that it was closing all of its stores in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Northern states aligned with the lucrative border linked drug trade are increasingly also having civilian and legitimate business extorted.
Condemnation and Pledged Investigation
Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya, and other officials like Durango’s Secretary of Public Security, Oscar Galvan Villarreal, have publicly voiced their grief and resolve in the wake of this tragedy. Notably, Governor Villarreal has pledged an exhaustive investigation into Almanza’s murder, stating, “All lines of investigation shall be opened and we ensure the real causes of this lamentable event will be made known.” Condolences have poured in across social media platforms, with numerous calls for swift justice for the fallen business leader.
This brutal act occurred a day after Almanza reported that businesses in Nuevo Laredo were being extorted by criminal gangs affil. It has stirred fears and uncertainty throughout the region, particularly among business communities. Amidst these concerns, reports are emerging of the ongoing challenges that coastal cities, like Matamoros, face in terms of security. In Mexico City, as a stark contrast, business sector members feel safer and this may add fuel to the notion that Northern Mexico is far too unsafe for outside investment, but many of them are foreign, which suggests a selective bias as to whose victimized.
Whilst the authorities have embarked on the road to finding the culprits of this crime, questions still linger amongst the public. Who would want to silence a committed and courageous businessman like Almanza? As insights into these questions emerge, they hint at the complex and daunting task that investigators have been tasked with as Mexico has an impunity rate that is way over 90 percent for homicides.