The violation of individual and collective human rights finds in indigenous peoples a historical record of grievances against a backdrop of impunity. One of the scenarios has been the struggle for territory and land, always accompanied by resistance from the original owners, who hold viceregal titles. It is no coincidence that these processes have involved a long-standing search for justice before the authorities in agrarian matters, and no few crimes against the indigenous authorities who promote and lead these struggles that are vital to them, which, incidentally, like the pursuit of justice, have not been touched by the reforms of recent years.
Much publicity has been given to the so-called government plans for justice for indigenous peoples, which in a few cases have merited presidential decrees that do not take into account that the “recognized” lands have been in litigation for years and a handful have favorable resolutions, but that have not been enforced. Thus, the credit is placed on the political will of the president, and the “beneficiary” peoples have no choice but to “thank him.”
It is in this context that we must view the most recent crime committed against the community of Azqueltán, Jalisco, on November 26, when gunmen shot and killed the community’s agricultural representative, Marcos Aguilar Rojas, a delegate to the National Indigenous Congress, and seriously wounded his brother Gabriel on the communal land of El Caracol.
The attack is part of a climate of terror, even to provoke the displacement of well-known local leaders in the region, in order to take over 39,000 hectares of the Azqueltán community. The names of some of those involved are known, and it would be up to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to formally investigate, because they have a well-established network of complicity with municipal and state authorities, as well as justice officials.
In this case, it has been reported that weeks before the crime, armed men posing as investigative police officers invaded communal lands, threatened community members with death, stole tools and work materials, and attempted to evict them from their historic territory.
Azqueltán has a viceregal title granted in 1733 and, as part of the O’dam-Wixárika people, has been pursuing an agrarian lawsuit for a decade before the Unitary Agrarian Court of District 16 in Guadalajara, seeking formal recognition of its ownership of 39,000 hectares.
Rubén Ávila Tena, a member of the legal defense team, stated: “We have been fighting this case for almost 10 years without significant progress, due to the number of landholders who must be summoned to court.”
The position of the community of San Lorenzo de Azqueltán is to continue resisting: “We, as an autonomous indigenous community, even if they kill us, will not abandon our territory, will not renounce our Tepehuán and Wixárika identity, and will not give in to the murderers or the caciques (local political bosses).”
In this case, as in all those experienced by the people, there have been those who have obtained a “private property” document without a court ruling. There have also been reckless justifications by authorities who have claimed that this is a conflict between private individuals.
Azqueltán, in response to the murder of its agrarian authority Marcos Aguilar Rojas, has the support of the CNI, to which it belongs. They have even requested that President Claudia Sheinbaum issue a decree so that the 39,000 hectares that make up the community are titled and handed over to their ancestral owners.
On the other hand, numerous groups, individuals, and national organizations, including the National Assembly for Water, Life, and Territory, the National Coordination Space to Stop the War against the Zapatista Peoples, the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, and European solidarity groups, especially in Germany, have promoted days of action for life in Azqueltán, demonstrations, and calls for justice in the face of this heinous crime, as well as for the recovery and full recognition of their ancestral territory.
The National Indigenous Congress stated: “We say loud and clear: the violence against Azqueltán is not an isolated incident, but part of a national pattern whereby those in power—whether governmental, economic, or criminal—attack indigenous communities when they defend their territory and their lives. This crime is part of an ongoing strategy of dispossession and aggression against indigenous peoples.” I fully agree.
Original text by Magdalena Gómez published in La Jornada on December 16th, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.