Organized crime gangs fighting over the Mexico-Guatemala border have been involved in clashes since July 14 in at least 14 municipalities in the Sierra and Border regions of Chiapas, putting the population “at imminent risk” and forcibly recruiting civilians, human rights organizations on the southern border warned.
“Civilians are being forcibly recruited, at least, from Frontera Comalapa, Chicomuselo, La Grandeza, Bella Vista and Siltepec, and executions of civilians have been reported in Zacualpa, Chicomuselo, who had been forcibly recruited by members of one of the armed groups,” said in an urgent action sent to the federal and state governments, the National Network of Civil Organizations for Human Rights All Rights for All, All and All, Services and Advice for Peace (Serapaz), the Swedish Movement for Reconciliation (SweFOR) and the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba).
Criminal groups, with armored vehicles and men who are support bases, have maintained at least 26 roadblocks on highways and rural roads in the municipalities of Motozintla, El Porvenir, Mazapa de Madero, Amatenango de la Frontera, Frontera Comalapa, Chicomuselo, La Trinitaria, Bejucal de Ocampo, Montecristo de Guerrero, La Grandeza, Bellavista, Siltepec, La Concordia, Honduras de la Sierra and Ángel Albino Corzo until Sunday.
Human rights organizations point out that “since at least Sunday, July 14, there are signs of an increase in hostilities between armed organized crime groups that have been fighting for control of the border area since 2021.”
On social media, it was reported that yesterday Saturday morning, members of a criminal organization aboard flatbed and dump trucks, but others in trucks with homemade armor, placed blockades on several sections of the roads in the municipalities of La Trinitaria, Frontera Comalapa, Chicomuselo, Mazapa de Madero, Bejucal de Ocampo, El Porvenir and Motozintla.
“Both cartels that are fighting over the region are forcing residents to participate in the blockades; it is known that the inhabitants of the communities abandoned their homes, dispersed to their fate and took refuge where they could so as not to be in the middle of the crossfire,” it was spread on the social network Facebook.
The reports also indicate that in the attacks the criminal groups are using vehicles with homemade armor and drones that are operated remotely to throw grenades.
This Sunday, blockades were reported in the town of Ojo de Agua Grande, municipality of Bejucal de Ocampo; Crucero Los Arroyos, municipality of La Grandeza; Unión Progreso, Las Chicharras, Desvío a la Grandeza, in the municipality of Bellavista; El Jocote in Frontera Comalapa; and at the entrances and exits of Siltepec.
In their report, the Human Rights organizations point out that “the situation worsened particularly on Saturday, July 20, when several communities and municipal capitals were surrounded, including Chicomuselo, by means of at least 13 roadblocks, checkpoints of armed civilians and physical obstacles.”
The TDT Network, Serapaz, SweFOR and Frayba, stated that “reliable information was received of armed confrontations in different communities of the same municipality” such as Piedra Labrada and Galicia.
“This situation represents an imminent risk for the civilian population of the aforementioned municipalities, which has begun to move, exposing itself to further risks derived from the movements of armed groups in the territory and from ongoing clashes,” the urgent action stated.
Therefore, they requested the “immediate intervention” of the Mexican State “to guarantee the protection of the civilian population in the municipalities of Frontera Comalapa, Chicomuselo, La Grandeza, Bella Vista, Siltepec, El Porvenir, Motozintla, Bejucal de Ocampo, Honduras de la Sierra, Mazapa de Madero, Amatenango de la Frontera, La Concordia, Montecristo de Guerrero and Ángel Albino Corzo.”
The organizations requested “information from the authorities on the actions that are being carried out to ensure the protection of the civilian population of these municipalities.”
Source: proceso
