The Mexican government must put an end to the war against indigenous peoples.
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The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) expresses its deepest concern and strongly condemns the escalation of armed violence that, since May 6, 2026, has kept the communities belonging to the Indigenous and Popular Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ) in the Lower Mountain region of Guerrero under siege.
In recent days, the criminal group “Los Ardillos” has intensified attacks using high-caliber weapons, surveillance drones, and paramilitary tactics. In this context, on May 9, their armed incursions led to the forced displacement of more than 1,000 people from the communities of Tula, Xicotlán, and Acahuetán, who fled to save their lives in the face of a total lack of state protection.
The violence not only continues: it is intensifying. The community of Alcozacán, one of CIPOG-EZ’s main organizational bases, is practically empty. On May 11, its residents abandoned their homes out of well-founded fear of new armed raids and drone overflights. The silence in the streets, the open houses, and the deserted roads reveal the magnitude of the crisis: an entire town forced to flee to save their lives.
Recent events have led to the forced displacement of 1,200 people, adding to previous displacements and bringing the total number of displaced persons in the region to 2,200.
This mass displacement is part of a sustained pattern of aggression, threats, and attacks against indigenous communities that, for years, have denounced the presence and expansion of organized crime in the Lowlands, as well as the negligence, permissiveness, and acquiescence of the three levels of government.
According to the most recent information, four people have been reported murdered, two of them identified as José Guadalupe Ahuejote Xanteco and Víctor Ahuejote Arribeño, both from the community of Xicotlán; the other two victims remain unidentified. Additionally, on May 11, Abraham Jiménez Chautla, a native of Alcozacán, was murdered. In addition, two people have disappeared, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Despite the wide range of actions taken by the communities that make up CIPOG-EZ, the federal and state governments have denied, delayed, or withdrawn essential protective measures. Information documented by Frayba and supporting organizations indicates:
- Co-optation of the municipal government by organized crime.
- Refusal by the state government to address urgent security demands.
- Withdrawal of protective measures by the federal government.
- Withdrawal of Mexican Army personnel from the Joint Operations Bases, allowing the armed group linked to organized crime to enter freely.
- Deliberate inaction by security forces during the attacks and displacement.
The lack of effective action to prevent and stop violence, even with full knowledge of the risks, constitutes a serious violation of human rights and results in direct liability on the part of the Mexican State for failing to fulfill its duty to protect the lives and safety of indigenous communities.
For this reason, we demand that the State:
- Investigate and punish those directly and indirectly responsible for the attacks, including public officials who have been negligent, complacent, or complicit.
- Implement urgent, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate protection measures, with the direct participation of communities and traditional authorities.
- Immediately address the situation of the more than 2,200 displaced persons, guaranteeing humanitarian assistance, security, and conditions for a safe and dignified return.
- Apprehend and dismantle the criminal group “Los Ardillos” and its operational and institutional protection networks.
- Guarantee the right to the truth, by publicly documenting the facts and acknowledging their systematic nature.
We also call on national and international organizations, solidarity networks, and human rights mechanisms to remain vigilant and to stand in solidarity with the affected communities.
The violence that is now emptying entire towns is the result of years of state neglect, denial, and permissiveness. The communities of CIPOG-EZ have repeatedly warned about the criminal offensive; reducing it to a “conflict between communities” constitutes a form of institutional cover-up and evasion of responsibility, which exacerbates the risk and normalizes the grave situation of human rights violations.
Original text at Frayba published on May 12, 2026.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.
Urgent Statement from the Indigenous and Popular Council of Guerrero—Emiliano Zapata, May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026
To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation
To the National Indigenous Congress
To the Indigenous Governing Council
To Insubordinate Europe
To the Civil Observation Mission
To the Free and Independent Media
To National and International Human Rights Organizations
Brothers and Sisters of Mexico and the World:
Right now, at 12:30 p.m. on May 11, 2026, “los ardillos” are entering the community of Alcozacán. High-caliber gunfire and drone attacks continue against our communities and the place where we displaced people are gathered.
We have already been displaced from Tula, Acahuehuetlán, and Xicotlán. They have already murdered our comrades, burned our homes, killed our animals, and spread terror throughout our villages.
Claudia Sheinbaum says they are protecting us. Where is that protection? We are alone amid the bullets and bombs.
Right now, “los ardillos” are holding Francisco Rodríguez Cisneros at the Jagüey intersection so they can continue attacking our communities, displacing us all, and taking control of our territory.
Not a single state or federal official has come to our communities, and
The Army and the National Guard still haven’t arrived. They have helicopters, they have weapons, they have everything they need to intervene, but they continue to leave our communities to fend for themselves while we are being killed.
Claudia Sheinbaum, those responsible for these attacks against our communities are Celso Ortega Jiménez, Bernardo Ortega Jiménez, Jorge Iván Ortega, and Antonio Ortega Jiménez. They are responsible for the 76 people murdered and 25 people who have disappeared in our communities.
We call on the federal government to intervene immediately because they are killing, disappearing, and attacking us right now.
Send helicopters! Send all your forces immediately to defend our children, men, women, and seniors!
It’s been more than five days of attacks, and the government still hasn’t done anything. We can’t wait any longer!
We urgently need the media, organizations, collectives, and human rights groups to take action, respond, and spread the word about what is happening in our towns and in the community of Alcozacán.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO US, WE HOLD CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, EVELYN SALGADO PINEDA, FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ CISNEROS, AND THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE!
WE WANT PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND A SAFE RETURN TO OUR HOMES!
WE DON’T WANT ANY MORE SPEECHES! WE WANT THEM TO STOP THIS MASSACRE!
Communiqué published at Congreso Nacional Indígena on May 11th, 2026.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.