The indigenous community of San Juan Huitzontla, in the municipality of Chinicuila, Michoacán, experienced a day of terror this Friday, May 16, when an operation described as chaotic and violent invaded their streets and homes.
According to residents’ accounts, more than 80 vehicles, including patrol cars, armored trucks, and jeeps, entered the town around 8:00 a.m., accompanied by helicopters hovering overhead.
What initially appeared to be an official action quickly turned into a scene of abuse and disorder, leaving the community in a state of shock.
According to RED 113 Michoacán, the occupants of the vehicles wore uniforms similar to those of the Navy, the National Guard, and police forces, but their faces were covered with ski masks and dark glasses.
Community members reported that no court order or documentation was presented to justify the actions.
A woman, whose identity was withheld for fear of reprisals, described how the alleged agents insulted and verbally assaulted residents while conducting searches of homes. “They yelled at us to shut up, that we were fucking old women,” she said.
The operation included breaking into homes, smashing doors, and looting, including the chapel of the Virgin of Candelaria, a sacred site for the community. According to witness accounts, the intruders broke into the church and treated it as if it were a hideout for organized crime, even though they only found candles, saints, and flowers.
In addition, community members reported that several civilian vehicles were transporting black bags whose contents were burned in different parts of the town. “They were weapons and helmets. We think they wanted to plant evidence. No one here had that,” one resident stated.
Amid the chaos, at least 12 people were arrested, all of them community members who, according to their neighbors, have no ties to organized crime. Residents attempted to protest, but their demands were ignored. No one offered explanations or showed documents to support the arrests.
Uncertainty and fear intensified when residents identified among the hooded individuals civilians from the municipality of Aquila, including a man named Dimas Ibarra, who, according to the complainants, is linked to a cartel operating in the region.
The community expressed fear that these types of operations are not aimed at combating organized crime, but rather at protecting it. “Bad people suddenly come to cause trouble, and now the authorities too,” commented one witness.
Faced with this situation, residents demanded direct intervention from President Claudia Sheinbaum, arguing that the abuses and violence cannot continue.
Source: infobae
