Retired Bishop Salvador Rangel Hospitalized After Kidnapping Amid Drug Cartel Mediation Efforts

Renowned retired Roman Catholic bishop Salvador Rangel, known for his efforts to mediate between drug cartels in Mexico, has been found and hospitalized after being reported missing over the weekend. The Mexican Council of Bishops had previously called on those holding him captive to release him due to poor health and urged them to allow him access to necessary medication as an “act of humanity.” It is unclear who may have abducted Rangel, but drug gangs such as Tlacos, Ardillos, and Familia Michoacana operate in the area. If any harm had come to Rangel, it would be a sensational crime against senior church officials since 1993 when Bishop Juan Posadas Ocampo was killed during a shootout at an airport due to mistaken identity by drug cartel gunmen. In February, other bishops announced that they helped arrange a truce between two warring gangs in Guerrero state following negotiations involving leaders of Familia Michoacana and the Tlacos gang. However, these talks failed as one participant did not agree with their conditions regarding dividing territories for drug trafficking and extortion fees. The current bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa also attempted to negotiate a peace accord in another area but negotiations fell through due to cartel bosses’ reluctance to abandon control over disputed turf zones. This reflects the fine line that prelates have to walk when dealing with drug gangs, as they do not want to antagonize them and risk retaliation against themselves or their flocks while negotiating in favor of average citizens requesting safety regarding missing family members. However, critics argue that these talks illustrate how far the government’s policy has left ordinary people to work out separate peace deals with gangs due to a lack of safe conditions provided by authorities. In February 2023, another Roman Catholic priest was killed in Michoacan state, making him the ninth cleric slain in Mexico over the past four years.