Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has offered "full guarantees" for the safety of football fans at World Cup games in the violence-plagued city of Guadalajara.
Ms Sheinbaum insisted there was "no risk" to fans visiting the city in June for four matches, in remarks coming after a wave of violence sparked by the military's killing of drug lord Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera.
His death has triggered roadblocks, arson and security clashes, notably in Jalisco state.
Asked if the top international soccer tournament, which is expected to draw crowds of fans from around the world to matches, including the prospect of the Republic of Ireland playing in Mexico city and Jalisco's capital Guadalajara, should the qualify after next month's play-offs (Monterrey, the other Mexican venue), would pose a risk to visitors, Ms Sheinbaum said there was "no risk".
Pressed on what guarantees there are that the World Cup will be held at the venue in Guadalajara, she said: "All of them, all the guarantees, all the guarantees."
A spokesperson for FIFA told Reuters that the organisation was closely monitoring the situation and was in close contact with the authorities.
"We will continue to follow the actions and directions from the different government agencies, aimed at maintaining public safety and restoring normalcy, and we reiterate our close collaboration with federal, state, and local authorities," they said.
Local Mexican leagues postponed some matches that had been scheduled for Sunday, the day cartel members coordinated a series of violent attacks across the country in the aftermath of an operation to capture cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho", which resulted in his death.
Ms Sheinbaum told a morning press conference that the situation was continuing to normalise, noting that several new roadblocks appeared overnight but said security forces were working to safeguard public security.
Ms Sheinbaum has largely followed the political map of her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who prioritised alleviating poverty and other root causes of violence, adopting a slogan of "hugs not bullets".
Drone footage shows smoke yesterday over Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state
Asked whether the killing of Oseguera marked a break from that policy, Ms Sheinbaum said this would never be the case.
"The detention of a suspected criminal with an arrest warrant can generate this type of circumstance, but we are looking for peace, not war," she said.
The arrests of other top cartel figures in Sinaloa state have in recent years also triggered cartel retaliation, including shootouts and vehicles set on fire.
Mexico is set to host 13 of 104 World Cup matches. Four of these are set to be held in Guadalajara. It will also host some preliminary warm-up matches before the tournament opens on 11 June.
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