(BBC) Pope Francis has delivered a strong denunciation of the drugs trade before an audience of 300,000 people attending an open-air mass in Ecatepec, one of poorest suburbs of Mexico City.
He urged the congregation to rid Mexico of drug dealer “merchants of death”.
Ecatepec, with 1.6 million inhabitants, is notorious for drug violence, kidnappings and gangland-style killings, particularly of women.
The Pope was speaking at the biggest scheduled event of his visit to Mexico.
Throughout his trip he has condemned the evils of forced emigration and drugs, urging Mexico’s leaders to provide “true justice” to suffering citizens.
Mexicans hope papal visit brings change
Thousands of admirers lined the route of the Pope’s motorcade as it made its way to the huge field in Ecatepec where Sunday’s Mass was celebrated.
In a final prayer in Ecatepec he urged Mexicans to turn their country into a land of opportunity “where there will be no need to emigrate in order to dream, no need to be exploited in order to work”.
On Saturday he celebrated mass at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, in front of tens of thousands of people.
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