Residents of southern Mexico will have permanent surveillance in their communities

Chilpancingo (Mexico), 20 Mar The life of the inhabitants of the Zihuaquio ejido, in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, will not be the same from this weekend, as they will have to live under the permanent protection of security corporations to avoid being attacked by the criminal group Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG), which forced them to move in 2020. This Saturday, very close to the renowned tourist destination of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, which reported 77.1% hotel occupancy as it was a holiday weekend for Mexicans, a caravan of displaced persons left after 8.00 am (13.00 GMT) on a trip of more than six hours in search of recovering their home. In January 2020, the inhabitants of the Zihuaquio community, nationally recognized for its mezcal production, were forced to leave their territory by a cell of the CJNG that, according to complaints from the inhabitants, intended to force the men of that area to work for them, in addition to appropriating their economic activity. Since that date, internal displacement led them to settle in the community of Vallecitos de Zaragoza, belonging to Zihuatanejo, in the Costa Grande region of Guerrero, from where they left this weekend on an internal journey through the Sierra Madre del Sur, under the surveillance of security corporations because of the risk that route represented. REBUILD YOUR LIFE When they arrived in Zihuaquio, the head community of the ejido of the same name, the picture was not encouraging: at least 80% of the houses and 20% of the buildings to produce mezcal are destroyed, so they practically have to start over. The approximately 20,000 litres of mezcal produced in January of that year were also lost. The municipal commissioner of Zihuaquio, Benito Campos Sepúlveda, asked for government help to rebuild life, as they need material for housing and their productive infrastructure. Unlike other ejidos in the Sierra de Guerrero, in Zihuaquio they prefer to produce maguey and mezcal than poppy. For the time being, those affected will spend the night at school, while government assistance begins to arrive to build that village again. According to the Commissioner, in January 2020, after the incursion of criminals, 300 people fled, about 65 families, of which 80% returned and the rest will remain in Vallecitos for medical and school care. He acknowledged that after his return they will need permanent surveillance from the security corporations, and they will seek to concentrate the magueyales in that community to prevent workers from dispersing and thereby weakening the group. Zihuaquio is the head of the ejido made up of villages such as La Cañada, Casas Viejas, La Fragua, La Palma, Santa Ana, La Nogalera, Las Vaquitas and Piedras de Amolar. Many of the inhabitants work on the preparation of mezcal. In each vinata, Campos Sepúlveda explained, five people work but the number rises to 30 throughout the entire production chain. Every year, every season, about 70,000 litres of mezcal are produced. The caravan of about 20 vehicles was guarded by members of the Mexican Army, National Guard and State Police, who will set up camp to take care of the inhabitants permanently because they are under threat of organized crime. According to information from the state government, those affected will receive support from the State Program for Attention to Internal Displacement, established in Law No. 487 to Prevent and Address Internal Displacement in the State of Guerrero. CHIEF fm/ai/laa (photo)