The violence in the western Mexico state of Michoacan has gotten chaotic enough that even the church is voicing up and asking the government to do more to normalize conditions in the area.

The executive committee of the Mexican Bishops' Conference is urging the government to put a stop to "the violence that is afflicting so many persons and families, so that citizens can live in peace, which is their right."

Reiterating the call of Apatzingan Bishop Miguel Patino Velazquez, the committee said that the people "expect more effective action from the State against those who are provoking this chaos."

They called on "politicians, the government and the Secretary of the Interior" to "give to the people of our region clear signs that they truly want to stop the killing machine."

"For our part," the bishops said, "we reiterate the Catholic Church's commitment and willingness to continue collaborating with pastoral care for the victims of violence and in the rebuilding of the social fabric by supporting a culture of respect for the rule of law and for peace."

While the recent rise of vigilante groups to combat the cartels has been tolerated and somewhat effective at first glance, observers of the conflict note that well-armed citizens rising up out of nowhere is an ominous predictor of future troubles.

"What is clearer, however, is that the emergence of vigilante groups in Mexico should not be judged as a completely unpredictable turn of events," wrote Jeronimo Mohar and Benoit Gomis in the World Politics Review. "Paramilitary groups in Colombia and the 'Black Shadow' death squads in El Salvador are not only a bleak precedent, but a reminder that in the face of institutional weakness, different power groups will eventually emerge to fill the vacuum."