Mexican daily denounces attempt to block circulation

"We have a circulation of 45,000 copies statewide and we estimate that with this operation they managed to withdraw more than 40,000 newspapers," Novedades journalist and spokesman Cesar Muñoz told EFE.

He suggested the attempt to block the circulation of the March 31 edition of the paper may have been prompted by a front page article about the acquisition of several armoured SUVs by the administration of state Gov. Roberto Borge Angulo.

The effort began in the early hours of March 31, when, according to Muñoz, people showed up at the Novedades depot in the Caribbean resort city of Cancun and tried to buy all the newspapers being loaded onto trucks for distribution.

Thwarted by the employees at the depot, the conspirators followed the Novedades trucks and simply bought up the copies delivered to shops, kiosks and street vendors, Muñoz said, adding that the same procedure was followed in other Quintana Roo municipalities.