The Secretariat of Public Education and Culture (SEPyC) of Culiacán announced that classes in the city will be conducted virtually on February 20 as a preventive measure. In a brief statement, the agency urged parents and teachers to stay alert for their communications.
The Secretariat of Public Security of Sinaloa also disseminated the announcement; however, it was not clarified whether the decision to suspend in-person classes is related to security operations in the area and the recent arrests of leaders of the 'Los Chapitos' cell.
It is presumed that the imposition of virtual classes is due to a possible escalation of violence in the region. Following the arrest of José Ángel Cannobio, alias 'El Güerito', and Kevin Alonso 'N', alias '200', a security operation was deployed in Culiacán. The latter is a presumed responsible for the security of the leader of the 'Los Chapitos' faction and is linked to homicides, extortion, and acts of violence in the area.
Security forces have maintained a broad deployment in the city, including ground and aerial patrols, as well as search operations in homes. Helicopters continue to fly over different areas of Culiacán, causing uncertainty among the population.
In addition to SEPyC, the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) and the Autonomous University of the West (UAdeO) have also suspended their in-person activities and moved classes online, awaiting suitable conditions for a return to classrooms.
For now, the duration of the class suspension and the security deployment in Culiacán has not been specified. A call is made to the population to stay informed through official channels and to avoid spreading rumors.
