UPDATE: On the morning of May 21st, Cofradía de Ostula woke to yet another attack by Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación. The Community Guard are defending the area, trying to get them to retreat.
Mexico City | Desinformémonos. The Nahua indigenous community of Santa María Ostula reported a new armed incursion by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) against the La Cofradía settlement in the municipality of Aquila, Michoacán, and accused the federal and state governments of turning a blind eye to the violence faced by indigenous peoples.
According to the statement, the attack occurred on the morning of May 19 and was repelled by the Community Guard, which engaged armed men for nearly an hour before they retreated to the vicinity of Coahuayula, in the municipality of Chinicuila. The attack forced the evacuation of schools and caused residents to seek shelter amid the fear generated by the gunfire. The community reported that no one was killed or injured.
Ostula recalled that La Cofradía has suffered armed attacks for years, including drone strikes and bombings attributed to the CJNG, as well as attacks on nearby communities such as Aquila, Coahuayana, and Chinicuila. He also linked this offensive to recent attacks against the P’urhépecha communities of Acachuén and Santa María Sevina, as well as to the violence perpetrated against CIPOG-EZ communities in Guerrero. “This speaks to an undeclared war against Mexico’s indigenous peoples aimed at displacing them from their territories,” the community stated.
In light of this situation, the Nahua community demanded the establishment of an Inter-institutional Operations Base in Chinicuila, the dismantling of the CJNG, and an end to institutional protection of the criminal group. Furthermore, they demanded the safe return of five missing community members, justice for the 42 murders of Ostula residents, and guarantees for the operation of their Community Guard and the exercise of their autonomy.
Below is the full statement:
Amid A Wave Of Criminal Attacks Against Indigenous Communities In Michoacán And Across The Country:
New Armed Raid By The Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel Against The Indigenous Community Of Santa María Ostula
To The Peoples Of Mexico And The World,
To National And International Media Outlets,
To Human Rights Organizations.
As we reported earlier today, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at exactly 9:00 a.m., the headquarters of the Cofrad Ostula, which belongs to the Indigenous Community of Santa María Ostula in the municipality of Aquila, Michoacán, was attacked again by a heavily armed commando belonging to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
This attack was repelled by the deployment of our Community Guard, which for nearly an hour withstood the criminals’ fire until they were forced to retreat; the criminals continued firing their weapons from outside the community perimeter near the town of Coahuayula, in the municipality of Chinicuila, Michoacán.
The events described above forced the evacuation of the district’s schools and compelled the civilian population to seek refuge in safe locations, thereby disrupting the normal course of the day and causing terror in the area. Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries to report.
For several years and on various occasions, as we have previously reported, the Cofradía de Ostula district has suffered violent attacks by the CJNG, including intense bombardments with drones and explosives, which have forced the suspension of classes and work activities for several weeks; these attacks have been compounded by others carried out by the aforementioned cartel in the indigenous community of El Coire, in the northern part of the municipality of Aquila, and in the neighboring municipalities of Coahuayana and Chinicuila, which have resulted in dozens of people being killed, disappeared, or injured.
Today’s criminal attack comes on the heels of recent attacks by the CJNG against the P’urhépecha communities of Acachuén (on May 6) and Santa María Sevina (on May 17), which resulted in the murder of four community members in total. Furthermore, this attack comes just days after the conclusion of violent bombings orchestrated by the Los Ardillos cartel against the Nahua communities that are members of CIPOG-EZ in the municipality of Chilapa, Guerrero, and against the Mephaá community of San Pedro Huitzapula, in the municipality of Atlixtac, also in Guerrero, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
As we have stated in previous statements, the highest levels of the federal and state governments are fully aware of the violence plaguing the entire region and of the attacks our community has constantly endured. However, they have refused to take effective measures to protect the region’s populations—and particularly the families in our community—in the face of the CJNG’s growing and increasingly violent presence in the area. This negligent and complicit behavior extends to the events that have occurred on the P’urhépecha Plateau.
Moreover, the recent bloody events in the mountains of Guerrero and those taking place in our state reveal a deep complicity between government officials, institutions, and organized crime, they tell us of an undeclared war against the indigenous peoples of Mexico to displace them from their territories and bring about their death.
As such, we demand the following from all levels of government:
1. The establishment of an interagency operations base made up of the Mexican army, the national guard, and the civil guard in the town of los parejos, municipality of Chinicuila, as our community has specifically requested of the state and federal governments for over two years.
2. The dismantling of the CJNG and the end of the protection provided to that cartel by corrupt officials and police commanders.
3. The safe return of our 5 missing community members; as well as the punishment of the masterminds and perpetrators of the 42 murders of community members belonging to the community of Santa María Ostula.
4. Respect for and guarantees of the operation of our community guard and the exercise of our self-determination and autonomy.
5. An immediate end to the war of extermination against the indigenous peoples of mexico
Punish those responsible for the murder of our community members in the struggle for land and community freedoms!
Respect for our Community Guard!
SANTA MARÍA OSTULA, MAY 19, 2026.
SINCERELY,
NEVER AGAIN A MEXICO WITHOUT US
NAHUA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARÍA OSTULA
Original text by Desinformémonos published on May 20, 2026.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.