@La Jornada
One month after the violent events that occurred on May 24th and 25th in the municipalities of Frontera Comalapa, Chicomuselo, La Trinitaria and Amatenango de la Frontera, which caused the forced displacement of thousands of people, on June 26th, a group of approximately 5,000 inhabitants from various communities in the municipality of Frontera Comalapa marched from the bypass of Nuevo Mexico to the central park of the municipality in order to demand that municipal, state and federal authorities guarantee peace and security in the region.
They also denounced that violence has been increasing in the region due to the presence of organized crime groups. Clashes, attacks on the population, forced recruitment, disappearance of people and displacement, are some of the manifestations of the violence in the area.
So far it is not clear who called for the march. On social networks and in testimonies from residents who did not participate, it is mentioned that those who attended were forced, supposedly by organizations allied to one of the organized crime groups. “There were three lines of about four kilometers, but many people were forced to participate; in addition, the security motorcycles of the organizers passed by all the time to line up the people.” However, the attendees affirmed that they came voluntarily.
At the end of the march, they held a rally in front of the Municipal Palace during which they requested the intervention of the National Guard and the Mexican Army, as well as the reinforcement of security and surveillance on the Comalapa-Motizintla federal highway sections, at the municipal capital of Amatenango-Mazapa de Madera and the road that goes from Chamic to La Trinitaria.
For more information in Spanish:
Marchan 4 mil para demandar seguridad en Frontera Comalapa (La Jornada 27 de junio de 2023)
Marchan por la paz en Frontera Comalapa (Cuarto Poder 27 de junio de 2023)
Voluntariamente venimos a marchar de blanco exigiendo paz: colonos Frontera Comalapa (El Heraldo de Chiapas 26 de junio de 2023)
For more information from SIPAZ:
Chiapas: Warnings over Spread of Violence at Guatemalan Border (May 29, 2023)
Chiapas: No Respite from Violence in Chamic for Residents and Travellers (May 18, 2022)
Chiapas: Forced Disappearances Continue in Chamic-Frontera Comalapa (March 27, 2023)
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