Joint Statement
June 10th, 2025
Stop the Growing Violence and Impunity in the Highlands of Chiapas
The Tsotsil people, members of Las Abejas de Acteal, and the community of Tzajalch’en, Chenalhó, are at risk.
The undersigned organizations denounce with profound indignation the armed attack against members of the Las Abejas de Acteal Civil Society Organization and residents of the Tzajalch’en community. This attack is evidence of the systematic violence that continues to affect communities in the Highlands of Chiapas since 2021, reflecting the deplorable actions of governments at all three levels of responsibility.
We recall that Tzajalch’en, a community that celebrated 50 years of resistance on April 30th, was established in 1994 as a Civil Peace Camp in the context of the Internal Armed Conflict in Chiapas, following the Zapatista uprising. This same camp was reaffirmed in a community assembly on August 24th, 2024.
In this region, the impunity of the Mexican State has allowed crimes against humanity, such as the Acteal Massacre, as well as the ongoing and current proliferation of a diverse array of armed groups, many of them in collusion with organized crime.
The persistent criminal violence in Chiapas remains a critical point, with hot spots on the Border, North, and Jungle, deepening the ongoing crisis surrounding the phenomenon of forced population displacement, disappearances, and murders—that is, terror and population control.
Las Abejas de Acteal, along with other organizations and communities, have daily exposed and denounced the presence of paramilitary successor groups and criminal structures that operate in broad daylight under state impunity.
In response to the demand for attention to the causes and roots of these conflicts, the families of Las Abejas de Acteal in Tzajalch’en have been victims of threats and incriminations by state authorities.
We denounce:
1. Armed attacks: On June 8th, gunshots hit the roof of the basketball court and the atrium of the Catholic church while community meetings were taking place. Fortunately, no one was injured, but terror spread throughout the community.
2. Presence of armed groups linked to organized crime in collusion with government structures: Minutes later, armed men entered the community, increasing the climate of harassment.
3. State intervention without guarantees: The arrival of the National Guard and the Mexican Army provided no security. Instead of investigating the attacking groups, more gunshots were heard.
4. Intentional blockades: On the night of June 8th, armed groups cut down trees to obstruct the road between Tzajalch’en and neighboring communities, restricting the population’s mobility.
5. Criminalization of community leaders: On June 9th, state authorities detained and held incommunicado a member of Las Abejas de Acteal and the Tzajalch’en rural authority, falsely accusing them of kidnapping. Both were released after hours of intimidation.
We denounce that these actions are part of a pattern of state repression against those of us who fight for peace and justice. We recall that the detained member of Las Abejas de Acteal has been a victim of criminalization since 1992, when he was unjustly detained along with others for his defense of life and territory, in complicity with the then state government, an important part of the history that led to the creation of Las Abejas.
This context of persecution is unacceptable and demonstrates the continuation of impunity. The women, children, men, and elderly of Tzajalch’en live under constant risk from threats from criminal groups that operate without restrictions. It is unacceptable that the state and federal governments, instead of guaranteeing security, cover up these groups, replicating the same scenario that led to the Acteal massacre in 1997.
We demand:
– An immediate end to the intimidation and criminalization of communities that defend peace and justice.
– The investigation and dismantling of armed groups linked to organized crime that operate in the region with total impunity.
– That the state and federal governments assume their responsibility to protect life and peace in territories plagued by crime, where people defend their land at the cost of their own lives.
We call on those who defend life and territory in Mexico and around the world: Let us not allow more murders! Let us not allow more martyrs!
Let us demand truth and justice for the people who deserve and demand peace in their territories.
Truth and justice for Acteal
Stop the violence; peace for Chiapas!
Signed:
Communities and Organizations
- 20zln
- Adhesiva Barcelona
- AJKEMAB’
- Alianza de Comunidades en Defensa del Río Bobos-Nautla
- Aluna Acompañamiento Psicosocial
- Antsetik Ts’unun
- Apuesta Solidaria AC Michael W Chamberlin Consultora Solidaria SC
- Arsani A. C. Huajuapan de León Oaxaca
- Asamblea Nacional por el Agua y la Vida
- Asociación Abogadas/os Jueces y Fiscales DDHH America Latina y el Caribe
- Asociación de Exploración Científica, Cultural y Recreativa Brújula Roja
- Asociación por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Taula per Mèxic
- Associazione Ya Basta! Êdî Bese!
- Ateneu Popular La Malgirbada
- Batec Zapatista
- Caminos De La Memoria
- Caracol Extremadura
- Carea e.V.
- Casa del Mundo
- Célula Ana María Hernández. Partido de los Coministas
- Centro Cultural Museo y Memoria de Neltume Chile
- Centro De Derechos Humanos De Los Pueblos Del Sur De Veracruz Bety Cariño A.C
- Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac del Istmo de Tehuantepec, A. C.
- Centro de Documentación sobre Zapatismo (CEDOZ)
- Centro de Estudios Sociales y Culturales Antonio de Montesinos A.C
- Colectiva de Colores
- Colective La Voz del Anáhuac
- Colectivo Acción Solidaria con México Austria
- Colectivo Armadillo Suomi
- Colectiva Ayuuk Toxëjk
- Colectivo Calendario Zapatista
- Colectivo Compas Arriba
- Colectivo Comunidad Tz’unun Ya’
- Colectivo Criptopozol + DDHH
- Colectivo Huitzil Urbano
- Colectivo La Insurgente
- Colectivo Nodo Solidale
- Comisión De Apoyo A La Unidad Y Reconciliación Comunitaria
- Comité de Defensa Integral de Derechos Humanos Gobixha AC
- Comité de Mujeres Chiapas-Kurdistán
- Comité Democrático de Lucha de Oaxaca
- Compañeros de Planeta A.C.
- Comunidad indígena de Ayotuxco
- Comunidad Indígena Nahua Milpa Alta CNI
- Concejo Autónomo de Santiago Mexquititlán
- Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo
- Csa Intifada Empoli Italia
- Cultura Errante
- El Tekpatl – Periódico crítico, independiente y de combate
- Encuentros de Solidaridad con l@s Zapatistas
- Escuela Comunal Casa del Arte Tlaixco
- Escuela de Agricultura Ecológica U Yits Ka’an
- Espacio de Lucha Contra el Olvido y la Represión (Elcor)
- Fanzinoteka Guerra Idealista
- Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra y el Agua, Morelos, Puebla y Tlaxcala
- Fundación Para La Justicia
- Geo-grafías Comunitarias
- Grupo de Trabajo “Fronteras, regionalización y globalización” de CLACSO
- Grupo Tlali Nantli
- Guardia Comunal Tlacotenco
- Guardia Comunal Tona
- IESII
- ILANCUEITL Danza de las Tlacualeras
- Impacta Cine
- Iniciativas para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Oaxaqueña (IDEMO)
- Junax – Centro de Voluntarixs en San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas
- Komite Internacionalista de Ermua
- L@S Hij@S Del Maiz Pinto. Tlaxcala
- La Flor Periódico/ In Xóchitl In Cuicatl
- La Garriga Societat Civil
- La Marx Internacional
- Laboratorio Popular de Medios Libres
- Lumaltik Herriak
- Marabunta Filmadora
- Melel Xojobal
- Mexicanos Unidos
- Movilidades Libres y Elegida-CoLibres
- Movimiento Agrario Indigena Zapatista
- Mujeres Transformando Mundos
- Museum of Impossible Forms
- Newroz Euskal Kurdu Elkartea – Asociación Vasco-Kurda Newroz
- Nodo de Derechos Humanos
- Observatorio Universitario de Derechos Humanos
- Organización Campesina de la Sierra del Sur Coyuca de Benitez-Tepetixtla
- Partido Obrero Socialista
- Pueblos Unidos de la Región Cholulteca y de los Volcanes
- Pueblos y Comunidades Indigenas Transfronterizos
- Radio Rebelde De Las Trabajadoras Y Trabajadores Que Luchan Por La Vida
- Radio Zacatepec
- RAIS (Red de Apoyo Iztapalapa Sexta)
- Red de Resistencias y Rebeldias Ajmaq
- Red Magisterial De Apoyo Popular Chiapas-Mexico
- Red Morelense de Apoyo al CNI Y CIG, Colectiva Nuestra Alegre Rebeldía
- Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos “Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y Todes” (Red TDT)
- Red Nacional De Peritas Y Expertas Independientes Contra La Tortura
- Red por los Derechos de las Infancias y Adolescencias en Chiapas (REDIAS)
- Red Unidos por los Derechos Humanos A.C
- Resistencias
- Ricardo Javier Lamas
- Rizoma
- Señorío Huexotzinca
- Serpaj-Mexico
- Servicios para una Educación Alternativa EDUCA A.C.
- Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz
- Sicilie zapatiste
- Sitio De Memoria Estadio Nacional, Memoria Nacional
- Solidaridad Directa con Chiapas
- Sursiendo
- Teatro Las Casas
- Tequio Digital
- Tlapaltik b’e Cooperativa
- Todxs Somos Jorge y Javier
- TxiapasEKIN
- Tzouma Chara
- UCIZONI
- Urko-Punta ONG
- Upadi
- Urng Maiz
- Velamor
- Xochitlanezi del Común
- Y Retiemble
- Ya Basta Jena
- ZODEVITE
Individuals
- Abigail Severo Vásquez
- Adriana R Vanegas
- Alberto Seligardi, Spazi Sociali Reggiani
- Alberto Solís Castro
- Alejandro Gallardo H.
- Alena Niehoff
- Alma Rosa García Guevara
- Ana Cachafeiro Viñambres
- Ana María Uribe
- Andreas Schaefter
- Aneliese Schmidt
- Arantza Peralta
- Arturo Landeros
- Belén López Astondoa
- Berta Reynosa Bolaños
- Bertha Torres Luna
- Brenda Porras Rodríguez
- Carmen Guillen Méndez
- Carmen Lacunza Astiz
- Carolina Martinez
- Cecilia Sánchez Martínez
- Cecilia Santiago
- Charlotte Limborg
- Charlotte Saenz
- Christy Petropoulou, Grupo de Investigación Ciudades Invisibles, Universidad de Egeo
- Claudia Elena Favela Pérez
- Cristina Bolaños Blanco
- Daniel Islas
- Daniel Reyes Lara
- Daniella Gaub
- David Garcia
- Diana Itzu Gutiérrez Luna
- Dina Júc
- Diana Ventura
- Edith Escareño Granados
- Edmundo Celaya
- Elena Villafuerte
- Emilia Torres
- Emma Fischer
- Engracia Perez
- Enós Antonio López
- Erendira Luna
- Evgenia Michalopoulou
- Fabián Carvallo Vargas
- Fernando Alan López Bonifacio, Sociólogo
- Fernando Bilbao
- Gabriela Aguilar
- Gabriela de la Luz Jiménez Rodríguez
- Gabriela Guzmán Gómez
- German García Marroquín
- Gloria Careaga Pérez
- Gloria Cazallas
- Gorka Agirrezabalaga
- Gorka Calzada García
- Graciela García Trejo
- Guillermo Trejo
- Gurutz Arregi
- Heike Horstmann
- Heriberto Paredes, periodista independiente
- Heriberto Rodriguez, fotógrafo
- Hilda Flores Sarmiento
- Isaura Ollin López Porras
- Ivana Alvarez Mazzotti, Abogada
- Jabi Unzueta
- Jaime Yakaman
- Jon Urrestarazu
- Jonathan Wich
- Jone García Guerra
- Jorge Hernández
- Jorge Martinez Rodríguez
- Jorge Salazar García
- José Luis Aldasoro
- Juana Dení López Porras, estudiante de primaria
- Juantxo Diez
- Julen de la Torre
- Julia Izarbez
- Lana Thiedemann
- Laura Franco
- Leah Rau
- León Mayorga
- Liliana Huljich
- Loris Bacchetta
- Luis Castro
- Luz del Carmen Silva
- Maite González Valencia
- Manuel Macotela
- María de los Ángeles Muñoz
- María Fabienne Viola Solis, independiente
- María Fernanda Fernández Rosendo
- Maria Inmaculada Gorrochategui Tejera
- Maria Jose Pereda
- Mariachiara Panza
- Marian Basurto
- Marie Van Der Loos
- Marisol Fernández
- Martha E Lechuga Luna
- Marx Sebastián Astudillo
- Mayvelin Flores Villagómez
- Melquiades Rosas Blanco
- Mercedes Yanes Lane
- Miriam Barranco
- Moritz Egger
- Nati Uertss
- Niovi Diatsigou
- Norma Araceli García Guevara
- Olga Maribel Betanzos Fuentes
- Olga Zaira Nieto Betanzos
- Oliver Dörner
- Oscar Bautista
- Pantelis Pailopoulos
- Paola Kirchhof
- Patria Jiménez Flores
- Paula Handl
- Paula Kurpjuhn
- Peralta Betanzos David
- Raúl Rodríguez Fernández
- Roberto Contreras “Gato”
- Rocío Eslava
- Rogelio Rubio Flores
- Rubí Rizo
- Sara Betanzos
- Sophie Pölcher
- Susana Beatriz Espinosa Sánchez
- Theresa
- Valentin Egli
- Valentina Vitali
- Verena Sirch
- Verónica Marín
- Veronica Munier
- Vivien
- Xabier Yurramendi Garmendia
- Yliana Delfín Fuentes
- Yolanda Aguilar
Original article at Frayba, June 11th, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.