The assassination of Fernando Ruiz Hernández, a primary leader of the armed group “El Machete,” has severely tested the fragile peace in the indigenous municipalities of Pantelhó and Chenalhó in the Highlands of Chiapas. The murder, which took place in early July 2026 in the neighboring community of La Esperanza (Chenalhó), broke a delicate period of relative calm that followed nearly four years of intense regional conflict.
Following the attack—which El Machete attributed to rival group “Los Herrera”—the armed organization released a video warning that they would take matters into their own hands and potentially resume full-scale hostilities if authorities failed to apprehend those responsible. This escalation directly threatens the stability achieved after recent municipal elections and heightened security deployments by state forces in the region.
The ongoing tension highlights the deep-rooted territorial disputes, governance challenges, and cycles of violence involving local armed groups, displacing numerous families and keeping indigenous communities in the region vulnerable to renewed conflict.
Source: https://lasillarota.com
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