Statements by the municipal president of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero have been labeled as “very unfortunate” by an important official inside the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party, Mario Delgado, current party leader.

Last Friday, the mayor of Tijuana responded to the wave of violence that burst in the city with a controversial “message” where she asked those responsible to “collect payments from those who haven’t paid”, so that they wouldn’t collect from the general public.

This was understood by most people as “allowing” criminals to collect payments and she was strongly criticized for this. It wasn’t until yesterday, after three days without clearing things up, when she stated in several interviews that this isn’t what she meant.

Mario Delgado said that he “thought these statements were very unfortunate. Crime creates criminal activities; it is not about collecting payments. I think these statements are quite unfortunate.”

It should be noted that, though these violent acts were national and international (especially in the US) news, Tijuana has been living under an unprecedented wave of violence since Caballero’s administration took office. However, the mayor has stated that those who have been murdered in the city are simply “thugs”.

“And to tell you the truth, sometimes, not always, but several of those who die every day are thugs. With all due to respect to human lives, but there are fewer thugs in the city among them,” she stated a few days after attacks that occurred in the streets.

VIDEO: Montserrat Caballero asks organized crime to collect payments from those who didn’t pay