Chiapas: Video Released of Armed Group in Chenalho after Shootout between Santa Martha and Aldama

@Internet

On August 19th, a video was released showing an alleged armed civilian group from Chenalho municipality. In the images, 12 men are seen in dark and camouflage clothing, carrying AK-47 and R15 weapons, black ski balaclavas, and supplies. One of them read a statement that states the following:

“We want to notify how our Santa Martha sector, Chenalho municipality is, due to the conflict between us and Aldama. That the government of the state of Chiapas wants to pass our legitimate territorial right from Santa Martha to Aldama. That through political means it wants to fix this problem, and we know well that it is not solved with political means, but it is solved through legal means, justice and equity.

That yesterday there was a shooting from Aldama to Santa Martha, and there was one injured, and there was one death from the impact of a bullet. With this deceased, it makes 20 deaths, as of August 18th, 2020 of the current year 9sic.). Because of this we have two compañeros as government prisoners, imprisoned since September 7th, 2019. We see that we have a lot of patience and that they are unjustly detained. We want the government to release them immediately.

Compañeros, do you want our compañeros imprisoned because of this land want to be released?”

“Yes!”, the others reply.

Just on July 30th, a new non-aggression pact was signed between Aldama and Chenalho to prevent more violence linked to the agrarian conflict over 60 hectares that both municipalities have sustained for 45 years, which has left around 27 dead, dozens of displaced people, and several injured. However, since August 14th, shots and attacks have occurred again, each side denouncing the other as instigators, resulting in one person dead and one injured; the deceased being from Santa Martha.

The coffin of the deceased, Javier Jimenez Santiz, was taken to the central square of Tuxtla Gutierrez to pressure state authorities to act while authorities from Chenalho spoke with the Secretary General of the Government, Ismael Brito Mazariegos.

The Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) has denounced the presence of paramilitary armed civil groups that have operated in Chenalho since the Acteal massacre in 1997 and that they were never disarmed or dismantled. It indicates that these groups are the ones that have carried out actions against both the residents of Chalchihuitan and Aldama, which have also resulted in the forced displacement of thousands of people. In the case of Aldama, Frayba has documented some 60 shooting attacks by residents of Santa Martha in the last five days.

For its part, the Chiapas Digna Ochoa Base Human Rights Committee reported on the death of Jimenez Santiz, as well as on one wounded by bullets. It blamed “directly armed groups operating from the side of the municipality of Aldama” that “are encouraged by the municipal presidency of Aldama.” Digna Ochoa denounced that there is “an unethical narrative with false biases on the part of the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights, as there are sufficient public testimonies that the attacks and the presence of armed groups are sheltered in both borders of the municipalities of Chenalho and Aldama.”

In light of the latest events, Ismael Brito Mazariegos declared that the State Attorney General, Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, arrived in the area to ensure and guarantee security. He affirmed that dialogue continues to find a solution to this conflict.

For more information in Spanish:

Se muestra un grupo armado de Chenalhó tras balaceras que dejaron un muerto (Proceso, 19 de agosto de 2020)

Civiles armados de Chenalhó graban video, reclaman tierra en disputa (Chiapas Paralelo, 20 de agosto de 2020)

En un video, civiles armados reclaman tierra en disputa entre Chenalhó y Aldama (Pie de Página, 20 de agosto de 2020)

Se recrudece violencia en Chenalhó y Aldama (Aquí Noticias, 19 de agosto de 2020)

For more information from SIPAZ: