The violence that pervades this stretch of Guerrero state in southwestern Mexico didn’t stop the group from traveling for gigs and playing its repertoire of cumbia, traditional ballads and romantic favorites. “We’ve never had any problems with anyone,” said Israel’s mother, Maria de Jesús Pasado Margarito, 37. “We never thought about danger.” She stayed home here in the village of Alcozacan during the band’s last trip — to a religious festival a few hours away. Her son and the rest of the group never made it back. They were returning on the morning of Jan. 17 when members of a regional gang called Los Ardillos — the Squirrels — stopped their two trucks on a remote road, forced everybody out and attacked them with knives, according to state prosecutors. All 10 musicians and crew members were killed and at least one truck was set ablaze, burning some of the bodies beyond recognition. The sprawling municipality of Chilapa de Alvarez is one of the most lawless areas of Mexico. Government authority has all but disappeared, leaving criminal cartels and self-proclaimed “community police” groups to compete for control. Violence has forced thousands from their homes in the Chilapa area and created so-called ghost villages that many have fled out of fear, leaving houses abandoned. “When they ‘disappeared’ my husband, I had to get away for the safety of my kids,” Carmela Vásquez Esteban explained. She and her four children fled their home in the village of Ahuihuiyuco, after her husband went out to buy gifts for Mother’s Day almost five years ago and was never seen again. Images of more than a dozen children, including at least one who was 6, wielding rifles made international news and drew widespread condemnation. “They should be ashamed,” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said of the community leaders. “Showing off children with arms and taking videos is an arrogant act.” There were no apologies from the vigilante group, which claims 300 members and calls itself the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities of the Founding Villages. Founded in 2014, the militia is part of a proliferation of such groups in Guerrero. The Mexican Constitution allows indigenous communities — such as the Nahuas, who reside in this part of Guerrero — a measure of limited self-government, including formation of their own police units. But he and other leaders also acknowledged that trotting out the child combatants in front of the media was a public relations ploy. The goal: to pressure the government to intervene on their behalf in their bloody feud with Los Ardillos. “They ask, ‘Why are we training children?’ So that they pay attention to us,” explained Sánchez, wearing sandals as he stood guard with a shotgun at the entrance to Rincon de Chautla, population 115. Situated at the end of a winding mountain road flanked by fields of grazing cows and goats, it is one of 16 villages — with a total population of 6,000 — patrolled by the militia. At the entrance to each is a guard post with sandbags. “The fact is, our children have a right to defend their families,” said Sánchez, 48, who carries a walkie-talkie keeping him in touch with other units. “The government is doing nothing to keep us safe.” In addition to the 10 band members and crew slain last month, Sánchez said, 16 other residents of the vigilantes’ territory have been killed and 14 more disappeared in the conflict with Los Ardillos since the beginning of 2018. Community leaders have since closed off media access to the gun-toting children — 28 are being trained, officials said — as representatives negotiate with the state officials on a list of demands. The demands include dismantling Los Ardillos, long linked to poppy and marijuana cultivation, heroin trafficking, extortion schemes and other rackets. But a major offensive against the gang — which is deeply entrenched in local politics and businesses — seems unlikely at a time when the Mexican president has adopted a generally nonconfrontational approach against organized crime. The vigilante group’s portrayal of itself as an indigenous David with ancient hunting rifles fighting off a drug cartel Goliath brandishing automatic weapons has won the group a certain amount of sympathy. But critics say the militia and other community police groups are themselves involved in criminal activity, including murders and drug trafficking. Sánchez, the vigilante leader, is himself a wanted man, for murder and abuse of power. He and at least two companions face arrest if they leave the confines of the 16 communities patrolled by his vigilantes. The group wants the government to lift the arrest warrants, which stem from a gun battle in February 2015 that killed five residents of another Guerrero town, San Jeronimo Palantla. Sánchez said he and the others responded in self-defense and are innocent. He denies that his vigilante outfit is involved in drug trafficking or other illegal activity. Militia leaders, however, point fingers at other community police groups, including one known as Peace and Justice, which it accuses of being a surrogate for Los Ardillos and carrying out the recent ambush on the band. The attack, Sánchez said, was probably score-settling for the killings of at least 14 Peace and Justice militants after they attacked Rincon de Chautla in early 2019. The leader of Peace and Justice denies any link to Los Ardillos and labels his group a legitimate self-defense patrol that polices more than two dozen villages. In Chilapa, as often as not, the vigilantes rule. In a notorious incident in May 2015, about 300 attackers identifying themselves as participants in a self-defense militia entered Chilapa, occupied the police headquarters and took 11 officers hostage, alleging that the police worked for organized crime. The assailants retained control of the town for five days, during which “dozens of people were disappeared and multiple attacks were committed against residents,” according to a report by Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission. Violence in Chilapa peaked in 2017 — with 177 homicides — when several candidates running for office and political party officials were assassinated in what authorities said was a battle between Los Ardillos and a rival gang — Los Rojos, or the Reds — for control of local governments, their police forces and budgets. Los Ardillos appears to have gained the upper hand, a fact that may have led to a decrease in violence. The homicide total last year dropped to 81. “It’s true, homicides are down, but thousands are still living in fear, suffering from extortion and other crimes,” said Díaz Navarro, the peace activist and a former English teacher. “There is no accountability for killings, disappearances.” Rosalina Azacualpan Calvario, 25, and her son lay flowers at a memorial for the disappeared on Feb. 8 in Chilapa de Alvarez. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times) He blames Los Ardillos for the kidnapping and killings of two of his brothers in 2014 and said that during the last decade about 500 people from Chilapa disappeared. On a recent Saturday, Díaz Navarro led a march through Chilapa to urge the Mexican government to declare the municipality the country’s first “humanitarian disaster zone.” The demonstration began outside of town at a hillside memorial to the disappeared. Participants included three of the LeBaron brothers, dual U.S.-Mexican nationals who have become high-profile peace activists in Mexico since attackers — thought to be part of a drug cartel — shot and killed nine family members in November in the northern state of Sonora. “I am living what you in Chilapa have been living with for a long time — that sense of impotence, of incapacity, of futility,” Adrián LeBaron, who lost his daughter and four grandchildren, told the marchers. “I doubt that anyone will ever go to prison for killing my daughter and the others.” Among those demonstrating was Agustina Hilario, 60, who lost two sons — José Julio Fiscaleño, 35, and Cándido Fiscaleño Hilario, 20 — in the recent attack on the band. They were crew members, and each had a young daughter. Cándido, her youngest son, was friendly with Israel Mendoza Pasado, the band’s 15-year-old drummer and the youngest victim of the attack. “Israel began to play the drums about two years ago and took a course to learn how to play better,” recalled Israel’s mother, Pasado Margarito. “He liked to play, to travel with the band.” She recalled her late son while speaking in an expansive storage room that used to be a rehearsal venue for Sensacion Musical, founded by her husband, who left for the United States more than a decade ago. The room is a place of deep silence now. Even most of the instruments are gone. “Everything was burned in the attack,” Pasado Margarito said, adding that she was still making payments on one of the destroyed trucks that used to ferry the band. “I am not afraid of anything now,” his mother declared. “All I had in my life was my son. Now he’s gone. And I have nothing anymore.” Special correspondents Cecilia Sánchez and Liliana Nieto del Rio contributed to this report. Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Members of the LeBarón family from northern Mexico joined forces with local activists a senator and around 300 members of the community in Chilapa de Álvarez on Saturday to remember those who had been murdered or abducted in the Guerrero community in recent years Justice and Truth” were José Díaz Navarro of the association Siempre Vivos together with Senator Emilio Álvarez Icaza and the president of the organization Causa en Común Although not directly connected to Chilapa members of the LeBarón family attended the march as a show of support and mutual understanding after violence touched their family in November last year Nine members of the family — three women and six children — were killed while traveling in Sonora; other children were also injured but survived Adrián LeBarón and his wife Shalom LeBarón attended the march in memory of their daughter and their four grandchildren who were killed in the attack The march began with the laying of flowers on a memorial to the disappeared at a spot where five citizens a local band played as people waved flowers and white balloons in a sign of peace Many people marched with images of their missing family members cried as she recounted the night that men entered her home and took her husband who has now been missing for more than four years In the past seven years more than 243 people have gone missing in Chilapa and more than 452 people have been assassinated confirmed Morera in her speech in the central square at the end of the march We do not want Chilapa to go on being the center of pain for our country.” Although the LeBarón family had received messages of support suggesting that over a thousand people would attend the march local cartels broadcast threats beforehand that anyone attending the march would be killed and put up a roadblock on the day of the event Chilapa is currently regarded as a particularly dangerous area of Guerrero as two cartels Despite this danger the march ended peacefully likely due to the dozens of police who also accompanied the procession the LeBarón family and Navarro visited houses that had been abandoned after family members had been targeted and ultimately abducted “Seeing the abandoned houses made a huge impact on me,” said Bryan LeBarón after the visit “I don’t see [Guerrero] as how everyone describes it as an unconquerable situation that is losing control with no hope I think that even with limited resources and attention from the government ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Since its beginning in the early 2000s, the Mexican drug war has seen the state of Guerrero play a most important role. This reportage looks at the region’s current social and political situation. Violence is relentlessly on the rise amongst cartels and self-claimed defence groups and local feuds force the population to abandon their homes and towns surrendering them to a ghostly domestic conflict. In the heart of La Montaña, a mountainous region on the eastern side of the state, the largest amapola cultivation of the country is located. Despite the military’s crack-down on production and the sharp price drop of heroin, the end product of amapola seems to see no real undermining in its share of the market. In 2017 alone the army eradicated a total of 84,000 m2 of cultivation, 20,000 m2 more than in 2016. Unlike other states under the control of only a single organization, Guerrero is hostage to various wars: between the cartels, between the cartels and self-claimed defence groups, and between the self-defence groups themselves. Once famous for the exotic tourist town of Acapulco, this now unclaimed territory is precious and worthy of violent internal fights which spread terror among the locals. Existing with a very frail balance, frequent power struggles and turmoil occur also within the local self-defence groups, which were once inspired by socialist and communitarian ideals. Since November, the Police of Tlacotepec has been occupying the municipality of Leonardo Bravo in the hopes of opening the way to control the capital city of Chilpancingo. The Government is rarely present in the larger urban centres such as Chilpancingo, Acapulco and Chilapa de Alvarez. The operation “Guerrero Seguro”, which was meant to reduce violence and the number of killings, resulted solely in the confiscation of stolen vehicles and a few arrests. It’s easy to die in Guerrero, and even easier to disappear. And as the desaparecidos abruptly become ghosts to the many families who live in the constant uncertainty of what has become of them, the empty houses and the deserted villages quickly turn into ghost towns. A disturbing silence is the only real presence. Hundreds of families enervated and tired of waiting for official action, have desperately started searching on their own for their loved ones in the woods, from Iguala to south of the region. In 2014 the disappearance of 43 students caught the attention of international media and exasperated the local population. Despite media attention, the drug cartels’ necropolitics continues to rule and imposes itself as the actual law in the region. “There are too many bosses to deal with and too many evil people to face”, says Chilpancingo Bishop Salvador Rangel Mendoza in an effort to describe the fights between the self-defence groups who aim for the control of the illegal gold mines. In recent years the lowered profitability of heroin has reinstated gold as another sought-after resource in the mountains of Guerrero. Mexico; Guerrero; San Felipe del Ocote; 2018 Local police forces in San Felipe del Ocote. This ghost town is currently under the control of the Familia Michoacana. Mexico; Guerrero; La Agavia; 2018 An abandoned toy in the ghost town of La Agavia. Mexico; Guerrero; Acapulco; 2018 The stabbed back of a 17-year-old boy found dead with his head and limbs detached. He is just one of the countless innocent victims found in Acapulco who are violently murdered to spread terror among the local population. Mexico; Guerrero; Chilapa De Alvarez; 2018 Banner at a bus stop in Chilapa: "The who can avoid a crime but chooses not to, consents to it". Mexico; Guerrero; Ayutla; 2018 Displaced family in the area of Ayutla. Many live in precarious conditions without basic needs. Mexico; Guerrero; Chichihualco; 2018 Displaced coming from the town of Los Morelos heading to the Chichihualco auditorium. Hundreds of people have been displaced since the Guerrero Unidos self-defence group decided to occupy the towns in the municipality of Leonardo Bravo. Mexico; Guerrero; Area of San Miguel Totolapan; 2018 Picture of a wedding left behind in an abandoned home located in the ghost area of San Miguel Totolapan. Mexico; Guerrero; Santa Maria de las Suarez; 2018 Family in Santa Maria de las Suarez. As many other inhabitants, they are leaving the town worried about for their safety. Mexico; Guerrero; Corral de Bravo; 2018 Young girl in her home in Corral de Bravo. Hundreds of families decided to leave their homes scared by the violent fights between the Police of Tlacotepec and the Policia Ciudadana de Leonardo Bravo groups. Mexico; Guerrero; Acapulco; 2018 Assassinated man in the Acapulco neighbourhood of Zapata. The sharp rise of violence in the city caused a tourism crisis and forced the Government to intervene with the security operation “Guerrero Seguro”. All forces, from the local police to the Marines, are attempting to stop or at least limit the dramatic situation. Mexico; Guerrero; Chilapa De Alvarez; 2019 Jose Navarro next to the memorial for his brothers. He wants to create a memorial for the victims of Chilapa. Mexico; Guerrero; Chilapa De Alvarez; 2018 Detail inside the abandoned home of a former local commissioner in a town near Chilapa. He was one of the leaders of the Los Rojos cartel. Mexico; Guerrero; Ayutla; 2018 Displaced in a shelter. An estimate of 8,000 people are currently displaced in the state of Guerrero. Local fights between self-defence groups and the drug cartels terrify the population and make life impossible. Families are thus forced to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. Mexico; Guerrero; Filo de Caballos; 2018 Interiors of a house seized by the Police of Tlacotepec. On its premises, according to the population in Filo de Caballos, many girls were raped by members of the Policia Ciudadana de Leonardo Bravo. Mexico; Guerrero; Petlacala; 2018 Members of a self defense group in a poppy field. The self-defence group of Sierra of San Miguel claim to protect the local population from the criminal group of the Tequileros, which are specialized in kidnapping and extortion, and at the same time take part in the heroin business. Mexico; Guerrero; Acapulco; 2018 Crime scene in Acapulco. Tourism and investments have dropped as Acapulco is currently the most violent city in Guerrero, and for the last five years has been the most violent of Mexico. Mexico; Guerrero; Santa Maria de las Suarez; 2018 Abandoned cars in Santa Maria de las Suarez. Mexico; Guerrero; Chilapa De Alvarez; 2018 Federal police inside the abandoned house of a former local commissioner in a town near Chilapa. He was one of the leaders of the Los Rojos cartel. Mexico; Guerrero; Petlacala; 2018 Little altar for a young boy killed by the Tequileros. Many members of the self-defence group of Sierra of San Miguel have lost their sons, brothers, fathers and loved ones fighting against the Tequileros. Mexico; Guerrero; Petlacala; 2018 Church in Petlacala. Despite the requests of the locals, the church has never been completed. In fear of the internal feuds between the criminal group of Tequileros and self defense Guerrero Unidos, there are numerous half-finished buildings around the mountainous isolated towns. Support non-profit journalism and perspectives from around the world. See all those languages? The Lingua project at Global Voices works to bring down barriers to understanding through translation. Collage with photos of some of the disappeared people in Chilapa Community guards or self-defense groups (which are becoming more common in Mexico given the “war” against drug trafficking), as well as several groups involved with organized crime, operate in the state. Regarding the disappearances, local mayor Francisco Javier García González noted: Estas personas fueron privadas de su libertad del 9 al 14 de mayo Es un punto estratégico (Chilapa) para obtener sus enervantes y hacer su tránsito hacia otros estados Vinieron a hacer limpieza del otro grupo delictivo y levantaron These people were deprived of their freedom from May 9 to 14 It's an strategic spot (Chilapa) to get their drugs and transport them to other states They came to clean up the other criminal group and allegedly lifted the Los Rojos’ halcones Lift or levantón is the term used in Mexico to allude to the illegal kidnappings carried out by criminal groups while halcón (falcon) refers to informants that illegally support them A few days later, four dead bodies were found in the area, allegedly related with the disappearances, as Proceso reported: Cuatro cuerpos con el rostro desollado fueron encontrados esta mañana en las inmediaciones del poblado de Nejapa perteneciente al municipio de Chilapa de Álvarez Los cadáveres envueltos en cobijas estaban tirados frente al pequeño panteón del poblado indígena sobre la carretera que conecta con el municipio de Ahuacuotzingo were found this morning within the vicinity of the village of Nejapa which belongs to the township of Chilapa de Álvarez were thrown in front of the small cemetery of the indigenous community located five minutes from the headwaters over the road that connects with the township of Ahuacuotzingo The blog Sopitas also reported the news and pointed out that the family of a public servant might be involved in the violence: al menos 16 personas fueron secuestradas por sujetos que tomaron el control del municipio por cuatro días en busca de miembros del grupo criminal Los Rojos los ataques están relacionados con el grupo conocido como “Los Ardillos” dirigidos por la familia del presidente del Congreso el diputado perredista Bernardo Ortega Jiménez At least 16 people were recently kidnapped by individuals that took control of the township for four days looking for members of the Los Rojos criminal group the attacks are related to the group known as “Los Ardillos” led by relatives of the chairman of Congress Party of the Democratic Revolution representative Bernardo Ortega Jiménez Mexicans have taken to Twitter to express their concerns over this new outbreak of violence in Guerrero. User Madame Déficit linked these events with the massacre in Tlatlaya and the missing Ayotzinapa students: Tlatlaya, Ayotzinapa, y ahora #Chilapa… ¿a alguien le queda duda que el país se le ha salido de control al presidente Peña — Madame Déficit (@Alessia_mx) May 22, 2015 and now Chilapa… does anyone still doubt that President Peña has lost control of the country @panaclo pointed out that she didn't know about the township in question until bad news arose: Reconozco que a #Chilapa lo empiezo a conocer, así como conocí a #Ayotzinapa por las noticias de sus muertos — CLAUDIA es CLAUDIA (@panaclo) May 22, 2015 I have to admit that I came to know about Chilapa Impera la violencia en #Chilapa: desapariciones forzadas y cuerpos desollados http://t.co/M0Pz4s8XJM pic.twitter.com/xvaAmn8jLA — Plumas Atómicas (@plumasatomicas) May 22, 2015 Violence prevails in Chilapa: forced disappearances and skinned bodies About the lack of mainstream media coverage of the news Y… ¿Por qué se ignora a los desaparecidos de #Chilapa? ¿Por qué eran #campesinos y #albañiles — Yorch (@SimplementYorch) May 22, 2015 And why are the disappeared of Chilapa ignored Because they were peasants and construction workers it is because they are not politically profitable Ximena Medellín mentioned the uncertainty about the actual number of victims: Tres órdenes de gobierno “trabajando de manera conjunta” en #Chilapa y seguimos sin saber cuántas personas han desaparecido — Ximena Medellin (@XMedellin) May 22, 2015 Three branches of the government “working together” in Chilapa and we still ignore how many people have disappeared The “three branches of the government” mentioned are the federal which are supposedly coordinating to prevent crime and get justice On May 22, 2015, tensions were ongoing, so school activities in the region were suspended, according to SDP Noticias news portal: De las instituciones educativas que suspendieron clases cinco secundarias generales y seis secundarias técnicas además el delegado reconoció que las comunidades de dicha zona no se encuentran resguardadas por elementos de seguridad La planta docente que dejó de laborar de manera indeterminada corresponde a 892 profesores y a 15 mil 631 alumnos que no tienen clases Of the educational institutions that suspended activities five general high schools and six technical high schools the delegate acknowledged that communities in the area are not protected by security elements The faculty members that stopped working indefinitely number 892 teachers and 15,631 students who are not going to school ERROR: SECURITY TIMEOUT - Please copy your message to a backup location Global Voices stands out as one of the earliest and strongest examples of how media committed to building community and defending human rights can positively influence how people experience events happening beyond their own communities and national borders Please consider making a donation to help us continue this work Donate now […] violence that affects some regions of the country like Guerrero (on the West coast) where 30 people recently disappeared during an operation carried out by an armed group or Oaxaca (in the country's Southwest) […] Authors, please log in » Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay up to date about Global Voices and our mission. See our Privacy Policy for details. Newsletter powered by Mailchimp (Privacy Policy and Terms) Global Voices is supported by the efforts of our volunteer contributors, foundations, donors and mission-related services. For more information please read our Fundraising Ethics Policy Special thanks to our many sponsors and funders either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Mexican authorities found six severed heads on top of a parked vehicle with an intimidating message in the municipality of Chilapa de Álvarez human remains found on a busy street are believed to be victims of drug gang-related violence a large poster warning against kidnapping and drug selling was posted beside the car "In Chilapa it's strictly prohibited to sell or use crystal "This is going to happen to anyone who's messing around All these crimes have capital punishment and the rules must be followed The square has an owner and is respected." Police say they received reports of the heads on the hood of a black Volkswagen Pointer Eight black plastic bags containing the dismembered remains of six people were also found inside the vehicle The State Attorney General's Office says the six people have not yet been identified and have been sent to the Forensic Medical Service "It was confirmed that these are six men, all beheaded and dismembered, whose identity is so far unknown," the State Attorney General's Office said in a statement. "On the spot experts of the Prosecutor's Office took charge of performing the relevant actions locating a canvas with a message that was left by its victims on the side of the gruesome finding." The findings of mutilated bodies left in public places in Mexico have increased in recent year, according to Mexican news outlet El Comerico two heads and other human remains were posted at a polling station on the Tijuana border three hanging from a bridge and the other three strung up in a tree Local authorities said the remains were found where rival gangs battle for control of drug smuggling routes authorities found an abandoned vehicle with 10 corpses in front of the state governor's office Mexican law enforcement and the military have struggled to curb drug-related violence. In 2018, the number of drug-related homicides in Mexico rose to 33,341, a 15 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Newsweek reached out to the State Attorney General's Office for comment Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all CHILAPA DE ALVAREZ: A Mexican bishop who served in conflict-torn areas abroad and survived an attack by drug traffickers in his own country hopes dialogue with criminals will pacify one of Mexico's most violent regions Jose de Jesus Gonzalez's diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa is located in the southwestern state of Guerrero where gangs fight over drug production and trafficking as well as access to Pacific ports such as Acapulco who was appointed to the flashpoint region by Pope Francis after previous postings in the Holy Land who took up his new post last week and plans to continue his predecessor Bishop Salvador Rangel’s dialogue with the “bad guys.” Rangel's controversial strategy involved regularly communicating with the drug traffickers I saved a lot of people who were kidnapped In Chilapa five years ago every day there were deaths At one time residents were too afraid to go outside said an ambulance driver living in the area who did not want to be named but not like before,“ the 68-year-old said From a peak of 117 murders reported in Chilapa in 2017 In Chilpancingo -- the capital of Guerrero -- the number fell from 159 to 50 over the same period “Chilapa thanks Bishop Salvador Rangel for bringing peace to our land,“ read a banner at events marking his retirement But the violence has not abated completely six severed heads were found on the roof of a car abandoned on a street in Chilapa along with a message from suspected gang members warning their rivals not to deal drugs in the area The two bishops know that dealing with such ruthless criminals is dangerous But “we were already cured of horror,“ Rangel said referring to their experience in conflict zones survived a brush with death closer to home when he was attacked by drug traffickers in May 2011 on a highway in western Mexico mistaking the occupants for rival gang members they all escaped unharmed and the gang boss came to seek forgiveness who took up his Mexico post in 2015 after years in the Holy Land has staunchly defended dialogue with the cartels -- even after the assassination in February 2018 of two priests in Chilpancingo His work earned him criticism from regional authorities and threats from self-defense groups that accused him of siding with drug traffickers “The worst thing we could do is remain silent,“ said Rangel a supporter of dialogue between the government and organized crime bosses it is considered an open secret that the four cartels operating in the state have political links It was in Guerrero that 43 teaching students disappeared a decade ago -- allegedly murdered by drug traffickers colluding with corrupt police -- in a case that prompted international condemnation About 30 priests have been murdered in the last 10 years across Mexico according to the NGO Centro Catolico Multimedial -- three of them in Guerrero citing the legend in which Saint Francis of Assisi tamed a wolf by feeding the beast to stop it from devouring people About 70 percent of Guerrero's 3.5 million inhabitants live in poverty Criminals “are not there just because they like it vowing to take the path of dialogue “as far as they let us go because we walk through minefields.” - AFP Tel: +603-7784 6688      Fax: +603-7785 2625 Edited by Ivan Martínez 2015-01-08 15:41:57 enter your e-mail address in the box below