• ABDUCTIONS: At least eight persons vanished last week after being reportedly abducted by unknown individuals in towns along the north shoreline of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, in the western state of Jalisco, according to a tally by Mural newspaper.
• CASE: In the most recent case, family members reported the disappearance of a young couple of visual artists, which was forcibly taken away by armed men as they were near their home in the small town of Santa Cruz de la Soledad in the Chapala municipality (pop. 50,000)
• ARTISTS: “Do not say that the abduction of our young people was because they were engaged in something illegal. Our Griselda and our Adán are two young people devoted to art”, said Alejandra López, mother of Adán Martínez López. A demonstration is planned in downtown Chapala on Monday.
• SHORELINE: Home to thousands of US and Canadian retirees, the north shore of Lake Chapala has seen sporadic episodes of violence in recent years but is for the most part considered safe. Municipal authorities acknowledged Sunday they do not have enough anti-crime resources.
