bloodshed

It was the worst bloodshed the country had seen since independence in 1971.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Wednesday for international action to cut off weapons to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, blaming the paramilitary fighters for surging bloodshed.

But there was no bloodshed, no sicarios — just a few frightened dump truck drivers.

It was a provocative message that resonated in some sectors of a country long afflicted by drug war bloodshed.

Authorities have meanwhile launched a crackdown on dissent at home that critics say carries echoes of the Soviet era -- even though it is a far cry from the calamitous bloodshed perpetrated by Stalin.