The National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra), Mazatlán delegation, lamented the death of businessman Rafael Tirado Lizárraga, founder of Frutería Alicia, who was allegedly murdered after being deprived of his freedom last Friday in the Sinaloa port. In a statement dated last Saturday, the business organization expressed its "deep consternation and solidarity" for the death, and stated that it joins "with respect to the pain of his family, collaborators, and loved ones, particularly those who are part of Frutería Alicia." The organization stated that the event "deeply hurts" the community and called to strengthen security in the entity. In this sense, Mazatlán Canacintra reiterated its willingness to collaborate in the "construction of solutions that strengthen the rule of law" and prevent "such regrettable events as this from repeating." Frutería Alicia, for its part, confirmed the death of its founder through a notice published on its social networks. During the incident, some workers were subdued and tied up inside the establishment. The suspects stole a black Ford Focus and a white Kia Rio, the latter later located in the Palos Prietos neighborhood. On Saturday, the discovery of a lifeless body was reported in the vicinity of the El Venadillo ejido, near the Culiacán-Mazatlán highway; however, it has not yet been officially confirmed that it corresponds to the businessman. PRI Senator Paloma Sánchez wrote on her X account: "I condemn the cowardly murder of Rafael Tirado Lizárraga, a fruit merchant from Mazatlán, deprived of his freedom last Friday," she wrote on social media. "Businessmen in Sinaloa are not only extorted and forced to work without any support, now they are also being killed without the government doing anything to protect them. The narco-war not only kills, it is also destroying, day by day, the development and work of Sinaloan families," she pointed out. "At Fruterías Alicia we are in mourning, we have lost our founder. Great father, brother, husband, grandfather, friend, guide, hardworking, honest, generous, and empathetic man and man of word," the company stated. It added: "Those of us who had the honor of knowing him know that he was a great man who left a mark. We will always miss him, he will be present in the heart of all of us." Rafael Tirado Lizárraga, 65 years old, was the owner of Frutería Alicia, a company dedicated to the national marketing of fruits and vegetables, with distribution mainly in hotels, restaurants, schools, and convention centers in the country's northwest region. According to local media, the businessman was reportedly deprived of his freedom last Friday, March 27, at the Central de Abastos, located in the El Venadillo area known as "La Yarda." According to information from the Noroeste newspaper, a group of armed men entered the company's distribution center and took Tirado in an unknown direction. "We reiterate our call to the authorities of the different orders of government to effectively reinforce security strategies, ensuring the conditions that allow citizens and productive sectors to develop their activities in an environment of peace, legality, and certainty," it stated. Likewise, it emphasized that "security is a fundamental pillar for economic and social development," and warned that its absence violates the integrity of individuals as well as the stability of communities.
