What’s happening?
The violence terrorizing the people living in the Mexican state of Chiapas for the last three years has reached a dangerous crescendo. Citizens and civil society organizations on the ground are reporting a frightening rise in violence including assassinations, threats, extortions, destruction of property and displacement. A drone strike on a basketball court in the municipality of Chicomuselo, forced the entire town of 400 residents to flee. The level of violence is so extreme that approximately 600 people recently fled to Guatemala. The violence stems largely from territorial disputes between cartels, primarily between the Sinaloa and New Generation Jalisco cartels. LAWG spoke with human rights organizations on the ground, which report that:
- Around 4,200 people from the municipality of Chicomuselo were displaced due to ongoing violence, leaving behind eight abandoned communities.
- The movement of about 7,500 people living in Chicomuselo has been restricted since July 14, 2024 when all entrance and exit routes to the municipality were blocked by criminal groups.
- Since 2023, around 19% of the total infant and adolescent population from Chiapas can be found in territories with high risk of recurring armed violence.
Even though municipalities bordering Guatemala are especially vulnerable, the government denies that people living in those areas are being terrorized by the cartels. In fact, outgoing President AMLO has publicly accused human rights organizations of fabricating scandals and claimed that the violence is exaggerated in this exchange with independent reporter, Ernesto Ledesma.
The government’s denial of the violence suffered by Chiapanecos and refusal to respond, endangers them further and motivates their migration to the U.S. The state of Mexico must take action to address this, starting by acknowledging the crisis and providing humanitarian assistance to residents. As U.S.-based activists, we can take steps to pressure the Mexican government to acknowledge and to address the crisis in Chiapas that has displaced an estimated 15,000 people.
What Can You Do?
We need your support to raise awareness on the human rights violations occurring in Chiapas right now. It is vital to urge our government to pressure the Mexican government to formally recognize the armed conflict in the region, protect the people of Chiapas, and enact exhaustive investigations of the human rights violations in Chiapas.
Check out these ways of supporting the fight against violence in Chiapas:
A) Call Your Representative: We need YOU to reach out to your representatives and ask them to reach out to the State Department, urging them to press the Mexican government to address the crisis in Chiapas. Please use this script:
Find your representative here.
Sample Script:
“Hello, I’m [YOUR NAME], a constituent from [CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE]. I am calling to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR] to speak out against what is happening in Southern Mexico. Since 2021 the municipalities in the state of Chiapas are under a siege of armed conflict waged by criminal organizations. The people of Chiapas continue to experience human rights violations daily and lose their loved ones, their homes, and their crops. Hundreds of people are fleeing to Guatemala as we speak. We ask [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR] to speak to the State Department and urge the government of Mexico to formally recognize the armed conflict in Chiapas, to stop attacking human rights groups and the press, and to take action to protect the people of Chiapas. Thank you for your attention on this critical issue.”
B) Tweet Your Support: Utilize social media platforms such as Twitter/X to raise awareness for the human rights violations ocurring in Chiapas. Tag the relevant officials and the organizations below to raise awareness and demand accountability:
- @GobiernoMX – The Mexican government’s official X account.
- @ChiapasGobierno – The State of Chiapas’ official X account.
- @PJEChiapas – Chiapas’ judicial branch official X account.
- @sipazchiapas, @RedTDT, @CdhFrayba, @Tlachinollan – Mexican human rights organizations’ official X account.
Retweet our action alert and post this on Twitter/X to show your support!
🚨Violence in #Chiapas is reaching unprecedented levels. People are being forced to run as cartel violence worsens by the day.
@GobiernoMX needs to acknowledge and respond to this crisis immediately.
✊The people in Chiapas need to be heard & their human rights respected!
C) Check these resources out and continue to stay informed:
- Report from a coalition of NGOs in Chiapas, “Siege of Daily Life in Chiapas“
- SIPAZ’s June Newsletter
- Continúa el desplazamiento forzado en Chiapas, Fábrica de Periodismo, July 31, 2024
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