Education workers in the municipality of Tamazula, particularly in the mountainous region bordering Chihuahua, have requested assistance from Durango authorities to evacuate due to the prevailing insecurity in the region and following an armed attack on a caravan of displaced families last Saturday.
Teachers from the community of El Durazno, who asked to remain anonymous, appealed to the Durango State Education Secretariat (SEED) and the Public Security Secretariat (SSP) to intervene and facilitate their departure from the border region with Chihuahua.
The concern intensified after the events of Saturday, when a group of people originally from Durango, who live or work in the El Durazno region, attempted to leave the mountainous area due to the unsafe conditions.
According to reports, the families were traveling from Tamazula to the city of Chihuahua when, while passing through a section of highway connecting Atascaderos with Guadalupe y Calvo, they were attacked by gunmen.
The incident generated fear among teachers in towns such as El Durazno, El Tecuán, Los Frailes, Las Milpas, and Todos Santos, all belonging to the municipality of Tamazula and located in the border region with Chihuahua. Due to the situation, school activities were suspended indefinitely.
Teachers reported that, starting this Monday, preschool and elementary schools were closed. At the secondary level, the suspension of classes was due to the decision of parents not to send their children for fear of further violence.
Meanwhile, the Colegio de Bachilleres (High School) opted to continue classes virtually, while the Telebachillerato (Distance Learning High School) system is considering suspending in-person activities.
“We are asking for support from the Durango authorities; we ask them to turn their attention to us and help us leave this area where we no longer feel safe,” said teachers affected by the situation.
The head of the Durango Public Security Secretariat, Óscar Galván Villarreal, reported that a convoy of security personnel has been deployed to protect the residents of El Durazno and nearby communities.
The official denied that the people attacked were formally a group of displaced persons; however, he acknowledged that they were families who had decided to leave the region due to the violence on the border with Chihuahua, intending to seek refuge in the Chihuahua capital or move to the city of Durango.
Regarding the teachers’ request for evacuation, Galván Villarreal assured that the increased security in the area aims to guarantee the peace and protection of the residents of the Durango mountains.
He also noted that the main acts of violence have occurred on the Chihuahua side of the border, although the territorial proximity has caused problems in Durango, including shortages of food, fuel, and basic supplies, since access to El Durazno and other communities is primarily through Chihuahua territory.
To date, the Durango State Department of Education has not issued an official statement on the situation; however, education officials indicated that they will work in coordination with public security agencies to address the problem.
Source: jornada
