Guerrero: CRAC and residents of Papaxtla denounce violent searches and seizures

(@QuadratínMéxico)

Residents of Papaxtla, Chilapa municipality, Guerrero, and members of the Regional Coordination of Communal Authorities (CRAC) have denounced the violent harassment of seven homes in the community. According to La Plaza, on 27 May, some 50 police from the Federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and the Federal Police (PF) arrived in unmarked vehicles, masked and carrying heavy weapons, and proceeded to break the security line at the principal access-point of the community, entering violently into homes. Though they lacked search warrants, they seized arms and the electoral card of commissioner Pablo Narciso Rosario. According to El Sur, the material they confiscated in the home of the CRAC coordinator, Genaro Francisco, included a .22 caliber rifle, a .20-odd rifle, a .22 pistol, and a 9mm pistol, in addition to ammunition, and three radios. They also mentioned the presence of a helicopter flying over the zone at low elevation.

Bernardino Sánchez Luna, coordinator of the Communal Police of Rincón de Chautla, has requested that the state government return the arms to the organization, as they had been acquired by the people to protect themselves and the territory. In this way, he distanced the CRAC from participation in the occupation of Chilapa city on 9 to 14 May, as perpetrated by an armed group.

The day after the violent searches, another convoy of State forces, ministerial police, and military arrived to Papaxtla, supposedly after having received reports of armed men in the community. Communal police and residents of the community explained their possession of arms as having to do with their membership in the CRAC. Thereafter, the Army and police withdrew.

For more information (in Spanish):

Denuncia la Crac de Chilapa allanamiento militar y policiaco en Papaxtla (La Plaza, 28 de mayo de 2015)

Irrumpen policías embozados en siete casas y amenazan a vecinos en Papaxtla, Chilapa (El Sur, 29 de mayo de 2015)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Guerrero/National: Emergence of Committee of Women for the Liberty of Nestora Salgado (2 September 2014)

Guerrero: soldiers and policemen burst into the La Concepción Commmunity after a Cecop assembly in which the case of Marco Antonio Muñoz Suástegui was reported on(29 August 2014)

Guerrero: Navy kidnaps coordinator of CRAC en Olinalá (13 September 2013)