In the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico, criminal groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel or the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) have begun to employ increasingly brutal tactics to consolidate their territorial control, using the civilian population as a strategic resource in their war against rival factions and state security forces.
This situation has created an atmosphere of terror in various communities, such as in Chicomuselo or Pantelhó, where citizens find themselves caught between the crossfire and the demands of these groups, which range from forced collaboration to the use of civilians as human shields, according to an investigation published by InSight Crime.
The use of the civilian population as a shield and forced labor has become a common tactic of criminal groups operating in Chiapas.
According to a human rights worker interviewed by InSight Crime, who spoke on condition of anonymity, armed groups have begun forcing residents to participate in roadblocks, in order to prevent the advance of rival forces and authorities: “People are practically forced to stay and collaborate.”
In several municipalities, criminal groups have cornered residents, denying them the possibility of escaping the conflict. Those who try to flee to avoid forced recruitment are threatened with death.
A particularly serious case occurred in May in Nuevo Morelia, a town in the municipality of Chicomuselo, where gunmen killed 11 people, including two religious leaders. The victims had spoken out in favor of peace and had refused to support the criminal groups in conflict, making them direct targets of violence.
Forced displacement
In addition to forced recruitment, criminal groups have extended their control over the civilian population by recruiting skilled workers, such as electricians, plumbers, and other laborers, to support their day-to-day operations.
A report published in February 2024 by a group of human rights organizations documents how organized crime has forced thousands of civilians to participate in acts of violence, while others are forced to provide essential services to keep criminal activities going.
The violence and coercion exerted by these groups has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of displaced and missing people in the region.
Between January and July 2024, 12,771 people were displaced in Chiapas, which represents a significant increase compared to the 4,562 victims recorded in all of 2023. This situation reflects the extreme degree of violence and terror that criminal groups have imposed on the population, according to InSight Crime.
CDS vs CJNG
The conflict in Chiapas has been fueled by the fight between two of the most powerful cartels in Mexico: the CJNG, led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, as well as the Sinaloa Cartel, which is currently divided into several factions, the strongest being Los Chapitos, commanded by the sons of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán.
Since 2021, the CJNG’s incursion into border municipalities that were previously strongholds of the Sinaloa Cartel has unleashed a new wave of violence. This turf war has involved larger and more powerful criminal networks, exacerbating the conflict with local armed groups already operating in the region.
The inhabitants of Chiapas, especially in the most affected areas, distrust the state security forces, which have been unable to stop the violence.
Despite the deployment of 200 soldiers in August 2024, the measure has had minimal impact on reducing violence and some municipalities have opted to create self-defense groups in a desperate attempt to protect themselves from criminal organizations.
This distrust of authorities has historical roots in Chiapas, where the indigenous population has traditionally been the victim of abuse by security forces. In the 1990s, the Mexican government used the army and paramilitary groups to suppress the Zapatista uprising, a conflict whose legacy lives on in the region.
A human rights defender interviewed by InSight Crime described state security forces as “complicit” in the terror experienced in some communities, which has silenced the population and prevented the reporting of crimes and violence.
Source: infobae
