Between 800 and 1,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in the mountains of central Mexico, victims of a criminal mafia's violent campaign to seize land and territory. The wave of violence in the conflict-torn state of Guerrero started within the same week, when a powerful group known as Los Ardillos began to fiercely attack communities in a rural mountainous region.
Thousands of people, including children and the elderly, were forced to flee in just a span of days after what they described as years of mounting attacks. The People’s Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ) reported at least one person was injured in the recent assaults. Videos shared with The Associated Press showed families fleeing their homes early on Mother’s Day, cloaked by darkness with only backpacks, while other images depicted heavy gunfire echoing over farms and drones rigged with explosives lying in the brush.
Marina Velasco, a representative for CIPOG-EZ, stated, "These have been days of terror," adding, "They’ve been bombing communities with drones, and how can one defend themselves from a drone, with bombs falling from the sky."
Land Seizure and Forced Displacement
Community groups and local religious organizations confirm that Los Ardillos have sought to take over the land for years. This ongoing battle for territory involves a smattering of other rival criminal groups, indicating a broader struggle for control over resources and illicit economic activity in the region. CIPOG-EZ has documented 76 people in the region slain by the conflict with the group in recent years, with an additional 25 individuals reported missing.
Cartels have been utilizing drones and more elaborate weapons for years to wage this war, a clear sign of the deep entrenchment of the conflict in regions like Guerrero. The fragmentation of cartels into rival factions intensifies the competition for land and its associated profits, driving the systematic displacement of local populations.
The State's Complicity
Marina Velasco reported that families have fled to nearby towns, where many now seek refuge in a soccer field. Despite the presence of a small number of state actors, communities like these have largely been "abandoned" by Mexican forces in the face of attacks from criminal groups. Mexico’s federal government and local state authorities in Guerrero did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the displacement.
The bloodshed unfolds even as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has intensified efforts against cartels, a policy shift reportedly influenced by mounting pressure from President Donald Trump, who has threatened military action against these groups. Sheinbaum has publicly called Trump's threats "unnecessary," yet her administration's actions are framed by external imperialist pressure.
Sheinbaum's push has reportedly resulted in a sharp dip in homicides, around 40%, since she took office. The government has boasted about this figure, even as it has been roiled by a number of scandals in recent weeks, and despite the ongoing displacement of hundreds of families and the documented violence in Guerrero.
Organized Resistance Emerges
In response to the sustained violence and the state's failure to protect them, communities have increasingly taken up arms themselves to fight back against groups like Los Ardillos. This organized resistance from below highlights the deep structural abandonment faced by the dispossessed and their necessity to self-organize for survival against both criminal capital and a complicit state apparatus.