Mexico’s ghost towns

By Ignacio Alvarado Álvarez in Guadalupe, Mexico

Photos by Julián Cardona for Al Jazeera America

Published on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015

In the spring, the mayor of Guadalupe had dozens of homes and businesses in the downtown area painted in vibrant shades of pink, blue, green, orange and fuchsia. They are buildings that have been abandoned by their owners or burned remains after being torched by the owners’ executioners. Each dwelling is an insult; instead of portraying life, the fresh coats of paint give testimony to barbarity and impunity. It is the face of a cadaver dressed up with vulgarity.