What is a 'Culiacanazo' and why is sadly trending on TikTok?

Since Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was captured on July 25 in Texas, the Mexican state of Sinaloa has been on high alert, with authorities fearing an open war between the factions fighting for control of the Sinaola Cartel, which Zambada founded with Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Tension simmered for six weeks until last weekend, when clashes between the groups fighting to keep the territory of the Cartel arrived at the doorsteps of ordinary people. Since then, the citizens of Culiacán, the state's capital, have been fearing for their lives, and the culichi TikTokers haven't been shy about showing how dire the situation is.

According to Mexican journalists specializing in organized crime, the faction Los Chapitos, led by El Chapo's sons, declared war on the Mayiza, El Mayo's group, now led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, son of the Sinaloa Cartel co-founder, after his capture in Texas.

Renowned journalist Anabel Hernández said in her podcast Narcosistema that the clashes are a result of the Chapitos entering Mayiza turf. "The information I got is that the Chapitos wanted to invade on September 9 with the knowledge that they're stronger, that they have more armed people."

A series of audios reported by local press allegedly confirmed that Ismael Zambada Sicairos had given the green light to move on the "Chapitos" in the area. A voice in the audio adds that the local government is "on their side" and clarifies that they are targeting the opposing cartel faction, not the government. "We won't fight the government. They're on our side," the voice says.

Culiacanazo 3.0

Immediately after the violence between the criminals started, restaurants closed and cleared out their patrons. Businesses in shopping malls shut down. Schools canceled classes, urban bus services were suspended, and taxis vanished. Many people were left stranded in the city center, unable to return to their homes. Flights arriving in Culiacán were suspended for several hours.

The city has been at a standstill for days now, with the silence often being broken by screams, the sound of car chases, and gunfire.

Sadly, the residents of Culiacán have a name for this situation: Culiacanazo. This is the third time they have experienced something similar.

The first time was in October of 2019, when hundreds of armed men working for the Sinaloa Cartel took over the city, took hostages, blocked all entries, and even attacked different residences of ordinary people in protest of the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López, El Chapo's son who led Los Chapitos. The situation was so bad that the government relented and let him go.

We are talking about almost the beginning of a war; you cannot extinguish fire with fire, and this is not about massacres," said then-Mexican president Andrés López Obrador, explaining the decision.

The second Culiacanazo occurred in January of 2023, again responding to Ovidio's capture. This time, the government didn't release him but suspended a planned extradition to the United States, which eventually happened in September of that same year.

Both incidents lasted around 24 hours. This time is different. It is longer and scarier, according to the people of Culiacán, who have taken to social media to tell their stories.

Culiacanazo Tok

In line with the way Latinos deal with stress, some are very humorous, to the point that some young women have mockingly dressed in their pajamas day after day in OOTD (Outfit of the Day stile vides.) Others have renamed the experience 'Culiacanazo Fest' to make it sound like a music festival. Other shows include empty pantries, food, toilet paper, and water running in Walking Dead style.

Some serious content creators have taken the time to explain the situation, and others are asking for help. However, all the videos convey the same thing: they feel like victims of a collective kidnapping and need help. In top of it, tropical storm Ileana reached the area.

Hear them in their own words.