For years, evidence has shown a close relationship between state and municipal authorities in Guerrero and organized crime groups. This connection has become increasingly evident under Morena governments.
A journalistic investigation by Arturo de Dios Palma (El Universal, 12/24/24) highlights the advance of organized crime in Guerrero. In 2024, violence levels surged across the state, reaching unprecedented figures. Daily reports reveal how municipal presidents from various regions made pacts with organized crime groups to secure electoral victories, and now they must repay the favor. Most, if not all, of these officials are from Morena.
In 2024, cities like Taxco, Acapulco, Chilpancingo, Zihuatanejo, Tecpan, Atoyac, and Teloloapan were paralyzed for weeks, leading to school closures, business shutdowns, and halted public transportation. Agreements between state and municipal authorities and criminal groups prevent them from confronting these groups. Federal authorities are aware but do not act, as they belong to the same party.
According to the Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Protection (SSPPC), Guerrero has 16 organized crime organizations and 12 self-defense groups, making it difficult to determine allegiances. Intentional homicides have increased, placing Guerrero fifth among the 32 federal entities in 2024, a trend that continues into 2025.
The government’s militarization strategy, implemented through the Army and its National Guard (GN) arm, has not yielded results. The GN’s presence in Acapulco has not curbed growing insecurity.
Investigations show that organized crime groups control the prices and distribution of basic goods in many municipalities, a model that began in Tierra Caliente and is now expanding to other regions. Specialists argue that this growing territorial control is impossible without the collaboration of state and municipal authorities, who trade spaces for political-electoral support.
Organized crime groups, in their territorial expansion, assume government tasks and functions, building a social base that supports them. They continue to operate because they enjoy the protection of state and municipal authorities, which, by omission, extends to federal authorities. This impunity is their greatest strength.
Source: Sur Acapulco
