Mexico: Thousands displaced in rural Chiapas state

Event

At least 5000 people have fled villages in rural Chiapas state since Wednesday, October 18, due to worsening violence in an ongoing territorial dispute between two indigenous Tzotzil communities. The dispute is centered upon the villages of Chenalhó and Chalchihuitán, where at least ten people have died from hunger and exposure to cold. Further violence and displacement is likely in the coming weeks.

Context

Violent conflict between the two groups was sparked in 1997, when 45 people associated with the left-leaning Zapatistas were killed during a church service by a right-wing paramilitary group. Territorial disputes reach back further to 1973, when the government created an official boundary between the two villages that differed from the traditional boundary respected by the local communities.

Advice

Individuals present in Mexico are advised remain vigilant at all times due to high crime rates, maintain a low profile (conceal signs of wealth to avoid attracting the attention of would-be thieves), and report suspicious behavior to relevant authorities. Do not attempt to resist would-be attackers or thieves; report attacks or robberies to the police.

Due to extreme levels of violence linked to the presence of various armed groups, some Western governments advise against travel to a large portion of Mexican territory, including Guerrero, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas states, the northeastern border with the US, and, to a lesser extent, Baja California, Chihuahua, Colima, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, and Veracruz states.