(CNN) -- A statement purportedly released by a violent Mexican drug cartel promises a one-month extension to a truce it called for in December.
The Familia Michoacana cartel, which takes its name from the central-coastal state where it operates, signed the statement, which was circulated by e-mail on Sunday and published in its entirety on a blog dedicated to covering the drug wars.
Mexican authorities were not immediately available to comment on the authenticity of the communication.
The cartel accuses the federal police of committing abuses in the region and blaming them. The authorities have attacked the cartel and any person caught in its path, be it civilians, women or children, the cartel alleges. It also wishes the residents of Michoacan a happy new year.
The Familia Michoacana "separates itself from any criminal act that occurred in the month of December 2010 that the federal authorities want to make us responsible for," the statement says. CNN
