CIPOG-EZ is once again attacked by the narco-paramilitary group "Los Ardillos.” This is translation from the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) and can be found in Spanish here.For more on CIPOG-EZ click here.
Community Territory, Guerrero, July 11, 2020
To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation
To the National Indigenous Congress
To the Indigenous Governing Council
To the People of Guerrero
To the People of Mexico
To the National and International Sixth
To the networks of Resistance and Rebellion
To the CNI-CIG support networks
The peoples and communities from the Costa Chica, Costa Montaña, Montaña Alta, and Montaña Baja regions of Guerrero, who make up the Popular Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ), are speaking out once again about the injustices that continue in our community territory. AMLO’s government and his representative Alejandro Encinas have not complied with their promises and once again gunfire has spread across Chilpa at the hands of the narco-paramilitary group “Los Ardillos.” We have denounced them many times before and will continue to do so.
It has been one year and two months and the armed attacks and murders against council members, delegates, and members of the CIPOG-EZ, CNI and CIG continue. We remember those murdered: José Lucio Bartolo Faustino, Modesto Verales Sebastián, Bartolo Hilario Morales, Isaías Xantech Ahuejote, David Domingo Alonso, Marcelino Pedro Rojas, Juana Hernández Ambrosio and Alberta Matías Tendón.
On July 11, 2020, around 4:30 in the afternoon, more than 100 members of the narco-paramilitary group “Los Ardillos” opened fire on the community of Tula, Guerrero in the municipality of Chilapa de Álvarez. After attacking for three hours with large caliber weapons, several houses and farmyards were destroyed as residents, children and women fled into the mountains to save their lives. Fortunately, no lives were lost thanks to support from community members and many others in the region, who resisted and repelled the attack, allowing community members to flee as narco-paramilitaries were not able to enter the community.
These events occurred just two kilometers from the permanent base of the Mexican National Guard, who could hear the shooting for more than 3 hours, and did nothing. The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador set up the base to provide security for the region but we ask ourselves: What is the use of the National Guard’s presence, if they are not going to act when they are shooting at us? What is the real purpose of the National Guard in our territory, if not to safeguard the lives of the people? And why doesn’t the federal, state, and municipal governments take action against the narco-paramilitary group “Los Ardillos” when they have all the legal elements to do so?
Of course, all levels of government knew what happened during the more than three hours of armed attacks and siege on the community of Tula Guerrero. Why didn’t Andrés Manuel López Obrador do anything? Why didn’t Héctor Astudillo Flores do anything? Why didn’t Jesús Parra García do anything? Don’t the lives of the Nahua Indigenous people of the Montaña Baja of Guerrero matter? Or is it because we are part of the CIPOG-EZ, CNI and CIG, and they know they won’t receive our votes.
There is no humanity in allowing the murders to continue, as bad governments make political decisions and empty promises. We demand that CIPOG-EZ communities, supporters and members be guaranteed the immediate right to life. We demand that the encampment of the narco-paramilitary group “Los Ardillos” which has been located in front of the Tula Guerrero community for a year now, be immediately dismantled. We demand the narco-paramilitary group “Los Ardillos” be dismantled and that they be convicted of a offenses related to organized crime. We demand that the federal, state, and municipal governments stop being complicit of these barbaric actions against our people by their own acts or omissions.
For the integral reconstitution of our peoples.
Never again a Mexico without us.
Justice for José Lucio Bartolo Faustino, Modesto Verales Sebastián, Bartolo Hilario Morales, Isaías Xanteco Ahuejote, David Domingo Alonso, Marcelino Pedro Rojas, Juana Hernández Ambrosio and Alberta Matías Tendón, members of CIPOG-EZ and CNI-CIG!
Justice for Samir Flores Soberanes!
Justice for Gustavo Cruz Mendoza, murdered indigenous communicator from CIPO-RFM!
Long live the Otomi indigenous resistance from the State of Mexico against the Toluca-Naucalpan highway!
Freedom for Fidencio Aldama of the Yaqui tribe!
Justice for the indigenous community of Zacualpan!
Stop the counterinsurgency war against the EZLN!
Never again a Mexico without us!
Indigenous and Popular Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ)
Regions: Costa Chica, Costa Montaña, Montaña Alta and Montaña Baja in Guerrero