Mexican president calls on civilians not to support drug cartels even if they pressure them

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president is calling on citizens not to support drug cartels or oppose the installation of National Guard barracks, after a number of videos surfaced showing residents cheering convoys of cartel gunmen. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Friday he understood that the gangs may be pressuring civilians to appear in such videos. But the president accused anybody who opposes the building of National Guard barracks in their communities of “protecting criminals.” In fact, residents of several towns and cities across Mexico have opposed barracks construction on environmentally sensitive or culturally significant lots, or simply because they don’t feel the Guards’ presence helps.