One year after the massacre of 11 people in Nuevo Morelia, Chicomuselo, organized crime continues to threaten the population.

• Mining plunder and control of the territory is their objective, say residents.
• Believing People of the SCLC Diocese go on pilgrimage to remember them.

In the burned remains of the house of Ignacio, a catechist from the Diocese of San Cristobal in the community of Nueva Morelia, municipality of Chicomuselo, his neighbors and parishioners from the region placed a yellow cross and photographs of him and his wife, his father, two sisters-in-law, his niece, an aunt, a cousin and three other people. All were massacred on May 12 by members of the El Maíz group, an armed wing of the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG).

They were known in their region for being part of a group that resisted the illegal mining that began when organized crime groups began disputing the territory. At the time of the massacre in this place located in the highlands of Chiapas, only five families were resisting in it, attached to their Catholic faith. When they arrived to kill them, they had just celebrated mass.

On May 12, convened by the parish of Chicomuselo, a caravan of cars with parishioners from the region left towards Nueva Morelia, arrived at the house of Ignacio and his family, and began a pilgrimage to the place where they were buried.

They were accompanied by priests and Bishop Luis Manuel López Alfaro.

On the way they were joined by a person with a beard, white tes, leather cap, shiny black shirt, leather sneakers and dark glasses; also two young men whom the population recognized as “punteros”, “shooters” of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS), this group took control of Chicomuselo from Al Sinaloa last June; but, in recent weeks, confrontations between both groups have returned to the region.

“They watch everything we do, they walk around the community, they ride around in their trucks, on their motorcycles; they want to make their presence known, to intimidate us, even though the army is here,” says a resident, referring to the small group of soldiers who, after the massacre, installed themselves next to the community’s dome. This anniversary only shows the place where the soldiers spend the night, surrounded by wooden containment bars and barbed wire.

In Nueva Morelia, although not all of its inhabitants have returned from forced displacement, it is clear that organized crime and the military coexist under the frightened and expectant gaze of those who have already returned from forced displacement, and on this anniversary of the massacre, accompanied by their companions, took to the streets to try to recover the public space that was taken away from them.

“There is no security, there is practically no security”

This May 12, Abraham, a survivor of the massacre, brother of Ignacio, returned for the first time to what had been his home. One of the people who died was his wife, Teresita de Jesus. He decided to leave the community, for fear of being killed, and because he also has the responsibility of taking care of his 3-year-old son, who also witnessed the massacre. He opened the door amidst cries and hugs from his neighbors.

“I left, I haven’t returned until today because of the same thing, because I don’t feel safe yet. I don’t feel safe coming back here since they (his assailants) are still around and no, there is no security, there is practically no security,” he commented.

He adds that what he has seen from the government authorities is impunity. “The material authors of this crime are still free, still unpunished; they are still here roaming around, in the highlands they are still the same. They are still here.

Surrounded by those who have returned to Nueva Morelia, Abraham questions the official discourse of the state government that peace conditions are being established, he says that “as long as complicity with organized crime groups continues, the situation for the communities will remain the same, even if we raise our voices”.

Regarding the investigation into the massacre, he explains that no authority has approached him to let him know of any progress in the investigations into the death of his relatives.

“No to mining”

About 2,000 people lead the pilgrimage to the cemetery, passing by empty houses, some of them burned. They talk about mining, they consider the wealth that this business represents to businessmen, the misfortune of their towns.

At the entrance to Nueva Morelia, a sign remains intact that reads:

“Nueva Morelia, 10 years walking with MODEVITE (Movement in Defense of Life and Territory) No to mining, No to alcoholism, No to Moscamed, No to militarization, No to death projects, Yes to life”.

The message reflects the principles that the population has, and whose defense was led by Ignacio and his family. As part of the land of his community are the hills where the La Revancha and La Revancha 2 mines are located, which were exploited by the Canadian company Black Fire until the population managed to close them down in 2009, after the death of the anti-mining leader Mariano Abarca. It remained so until the arrival of organized crime groups, when it began to be exploited illegally.

“For many years we have been denouncing the wave of injustices, violations of our human and collective rights, the looting of mining material, and we were never heard, then our voices were silenced by weapons, we were forced to put ourselves as a human barrier in the clashes between criminal groups, we were beaten by those who should guarantee the security of our people, we were forced to flee our communities to save our lives, we returned, not because there were security conditions guaranteed by the state but because of the fear of losing our patrimony in the face of looting and robbery,” they said in a statement on May 12, at the tomb of those they now call their martyrs.

“Our heart aches for the innocent victims massacred in the midst of violence, the murder of our sisters and brothers martyrs of Nueva Morelia: Ignacio, Isidra, Teresita de Jesús, Rosalinda, Yojari Belén, Dolores, Alfonso, Azael, Urbano, Brandi and Joel, as well as Father Marcelo who closely accompanied the struggles and resistance of our peoples.”

Even in these conditions, they said, “we reaffirm our struggles and resistance in favor of the good life from our diocesan options: the option for the poor and the option for the care and defense of mother earth”.

They warned that now with the “simulated peace” of this new government, they want to reopen the mines, forcing the population to accept their opening, as has happened in other states such as Guerrero, through the fear caused by the actions of criminal groups.

Original text and photos by Ángeles Máriscal published in Chiapas Paralelo on May 13th, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.