Mexican protesters: "Guzman was not like you corrupt politicians"

About 2.000 people in the capital of Sinaloa state, Culiacan, in northwestern Mexico, demonstrated in support of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Capo" Guzman, who was arrested last weekend.

Demonstrators dressed in white, accompanied by a folk band, marched through the streets of the city yesterday shouting "free him", before about 200 police officers dispersed them.

One young man suffered a head injury when he was pushed.

Federal prosecutors in Mexico City filed new organized crime charges against the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, who has been in Mexico's strictest prison since his arrest on Saturday.

The protest march, in which men, women and students took part, started in a church on the hill above Kulijakan, and ended in front of the town hall, where the crowd shouted "long live El Capo".

One banner carried by the protesters read: "Joaquin Guzmán employed, but he was not like you corrupt politicians."

A housewife from the working-class district of Culijacan, Las Coloradas, said that "El Capo helps companies that help the poor."

"El Capo is preventing other rival cartels from entering Sinaloa," said a 30-year-old woman who did not want to be identified.

The day before that, leaflets could be found around the city calling on residents to demonstrate for "the release of El Cap, the hero of Sinaloa".

Although "narcoculture" -- the glorification of drug cartels in songs and movies -- is deeply rooted in Sinaloa, it was the first rally of support for Guzmán in the city of 675.000.

Mexican marines nearly arrested Guzmán at one of his houses in Culiacan a week earlier, but he escaped through a tunnel hidden under a bathtub that connected to the city's sewage system.

Marines later found Guzmán further south in the resort town of Masatlan, thanks to intelligence from the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

He was there with his wife, ex-mistress and two-year-old twin daughters in one apartment.

He was arrested after 13 years on the run without firing a single shot.

Federal judges on Tuesday ordered that Guzman be charged with organized crime and drug trafficking.

US prosecutors plan to seek his extradition.

The state prosecutor's office has announced that it is considering additional charges of organized crime, drug trafficking, bribery and possession of weapons without a license, according to AFP.

A man described as his "personal assistant", Carlos Manuel Ramirez, was charged with possessing a rifle reserved for military use without a license when he was arrested along with the boss.

Guzmán is one of 12 people arrested in an operation against the Sinaloa cartel from February 11 to 22, the attorney general's office said.

In the operation, 133 firearms, 311 ammunition, two grenade launchers, one rocket launcher, two rockets, two explosives, nine grenades, 43 vehicles (including 19 armored cars) and 14 houses were seized.

The police also seized 3,1 tons of methamphetamine, 82,2 kilograms of cocaine and 25,6 kilograms of marijuana.

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