On February 23rd, the organization Melel Xojobal presented its report “Children Facing Criminal Violence in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas”, in which it warns about the fact that more than 2,507 boys, girls and adolescents, the majority from indigenous communities in San Cristobal de Las Casas and the Chiapas Highlands are at risk of being recruited by organized crime.
The investigation shows that the majority of victims of forced recruitment in the state have an average age between 15 and 21 and are mostly from the Tsotsil and Tseltal peoples. Once inside gangs or organized crime groups, young people are forced to run errands, sell and transport drugs, recruit other people, and carry out surveillance or guide work. In the case of women, they are forced to do cleaning and be waitresses in canteens or bars, until they become victims of sexual exploitation. Also, young people can be forced to participate in confrontations against rival groups, as well as carry out gang activities or hitmen. These high-risk activities endanger life and integrity or could lead to arrest. This responds to the logic that they are seen as expendable parts that can be easily replaced.
“Something that worries us is that these criminal groups are converted into players that provide children and youth with possibilities of social mobility, belonging, and roots, and as schools, families, neighborhoods, we are not managing to generate these conditions of territorial roots and protection, where evidently the state is not being a counterweight against these criminal groups that continue to grow their ranks with children and adolescents,” declared Jennifer Haza Gutierrez, director of Melel Xojobal.
Given this context, Melel Xojobal recommended, among other things, strengthening the capacities of girls, boys and adolescents for citizen participation, decision-making and self-care; address triggers of social violence such as social inequality, racism and social exclusion through the promotion of access to basic health, sanitation, education, and employment services; and implement public policies under the paradigm of healthy environments that contemplate topics such as comprehensive sexuality education; access to health services, food; the promotion of physical activities and healthy recreation; the promotion of culture and the arts, etc.
For more information in Spanish:
Más de 2 mil niños, niñas y adolescentes, en riesgo de ser enganchados por crimen en San Cristóbal, Chiapas (Aristegui Noticias, 26 de febrero de 2024)
ONG: al alza, reclutamiento de menores en San Cristóbal de las Casas (La Jornada, 25 de febrero de 2024)
Agrupación Melel Xojobal presenta su informe (Cuarto Poder, 24 de febrero de 2024)
Más de 2 mil 500 niños, niñas y adolescentes en riesgo de reclutamiento por el crimen organizado y pandillas en San Cristóbal de Las Casas (Chiapas Paralelo, 23 de febrero de 2024)
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