CNI Members in Chilón, Chiapas are Intimidated With Rifles

By Chiapas Paralelo

*Chilón is an indigenous municipality with a Tseltal population, where civilian armed groups operate.

The Indigenous Governing Council in Chiapas repudiated the acts of violence and repression of the government and its paramilitary groups against members of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) in the community of Cumbre Nachoj, now known as “Genaro Vázquez,” in Chilón municipality¹.

They pointed out that on June 1, 2021, around 10:10 pm, a group of moto taxis with around 35 people arrived with high-caliber weapons, thereby provoking violence and damages at the headquarters for community meetings –a space of resistance– to intimidate CNI members.

Due to the high insecurity risk, our compañeros cannot go to the headquarters that this armed group has already invaded, emphasized the Indigenous Governing Council in Chiapas.

Said paramilitary group is led by Méndez Malaquías, coordinator of the moto taxi group, and includes Domingo Pérez Álvaro, Pedro, Mateo Moreno Pérez, Juan Vázquez López and José Gómez Silvano, supported by Carlos Idelfonso Jiménez Trujillo, municipal president of Chilón.

They placed the responsibility on those already mentioned for the risk to the life and security of the CNI members, as well as on Juan Baldemar Navarro Guillen, government delegate, who they assert has been remiss in attending to the violent situations that have been generated in the region.

They made an urgent call to solidarity collectives and human rights organizations, also to the national and international sixth, to the networks of resistance and rebellion to be attentive to any act of violence that they may suffer due to a lack of intervention from the Chilón municipal government’s, the state government of Rutilio Escandón Cadenas and the federal government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Threats to members 

It’s important to mention that a little while ago the CNI-CIG warned about the reactivation of violence against CNI members in San Antonio Bulujib, Chilón, who were threatened with dispossession and forced displacement given the governmental inability to retake and renew the process of dialogue initiated in March of last year².

They said that the situation of violence and harassment that the CNI members suffered has been of a permanent nature. Since February 23, 2020 they have been suffering a series of violations of their human rights for having placed a sign within the framework of the Day of Action “We Are All Samir,” making use of their right to free expression and demonstration.

They hold the three levels of government responsible for the physical, psychological and material integrity of the CNI members, and again pointed out Carlos Ildefonso Jiménez Trujillo for his incitement.

Originally Published by Chiapas Paralelo on Thursday, June 3, 2021.
https://www.chiapasparalelo.com/noticias/chiapas/2021/06/integrantes-del-cni-en-chilon-son-intimidados-con-armas-largas/ Re-Published with English interpretation by the Chiapas Support Committee and re-posted by Schools for Chiapas.

1. The CNI communiqué (in Spanish) can be found here: http://www.congresonacionalindigena.org/2021/06/03/denuncia-urgente-por-las-agresiones-a-companeros-del-cni-en-la-comunidad-cumbre-nachoj-hoy-conocida-como-genaro-vazquez-municipio-oficial-de-chilon-chiapas/
2. The recent CNI-CIG warning can be read here: https://chiapas-support.org/2021/03/23/stop-paramilitary-violence-in-san-antonio-bulujib-chilon-chiapas/