Cuautla councilwoman calls for National Guard takeover

Reporting and context

Cuautla councilwoman Anita Sánchez Guerra has called for the municipal police force to be disbanded and the National Guard to take control of security, alleging that local officers are working with criminal groups, according to El País México.

Sánchez, who represents the Green Party and oversees the council's security and public property commission, said Cuautla had seven public security chiefs during 2025 and 2026. Three failed vetting examinations, she told the newspaper. She also said the municipality had just 45 police officers for 196,000 residents, compared with the 900 she argued it needed.

Her accusations concern appointments made by former mayor Jesús Corona Damián and officials retained by his successor, Salvador Molina Martínez. El País México reported that Corona was arrested in May as part of Operation Enjambre over alleged organized-crime links and extortion. An arrest warrant was issued on May 20; he was captured in Acapulco after 10 days on the run.

Citing security reports, Sánchez alleged that Corona escaped dressed as a police officer and with police escorts. She said 20 officers had been assigned to protect him despite the force's limited staffing. She also questioned why Emmanuel Nieto Sotelo, who served as operational security director under Corona, remained in charge of the force under the current administration.

The council rejected a request to summon Nieto for questioning, the newspaper reported. Opposition councilwomen raised concerns about police spending, the crime strategy and the response to extortion and attacks on public transport. El País sought comment from the municipal government but had received no response by publication.

The demand follows a week of violence in Morelos. The report said state prosecutors detained and released José David N, known as El Güero Gym, an alleged Pueblos Unidos leader, after an operation and violent reprisals on Monday. It attributed roadblocks, vehicle burnings and the abduction and torture of three investigative agents to members of that group.

State authorities announced on Friday that in-person classes would be suspended in favor of remote learning because of disruption to public transport and as a precaution, according to the report.

Cuautla had already drawn scrutiny after the September killing of Spanish exchange student Claudia Tacoronte, 21, during a cellphone robbery. Sánchez cited the case while criticizing emergency response, saying assistance took 40 minutes to arrive.

Original reporting: El País México.