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There were no shots fired this time; it was poverty, marginalization, lack of schools, doctors, roads, employment, and food that caused 300 indigenous families from Cochoapa el Grande and Metlatónoc to flee their villages and settle in the Tlapa municipality.
Both Cochoapa el Grande and Metlatónoc are the poorest municipalities in the state of Guerrero . According to the last census by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) , they have the highest marginalization rates in the country. Deficiencies abound: 56% of their population is illiterate; 74% of them are not beneficiaries to any kind of health service, and 80% of them lack access to toilets and sewage .
These 300 families decided to run away from the communities of Tierra Blanquita, San Lucas, San Cristobalito, Llano de la Piedra, San Miguel el Nuevo, San Rafael, Llano del Metate, and Rancho San Marcos on November 20 , by using public transport and moving in any way they could.
The displaced group arrived in a land at the Las Mesas colony in Tlapa , the municipality that serves as commercial center for the entire mountain territory. The land owner allowed them to stay for only 15 days .
The mayor of Tlapa, Dionisio Merced , claimed that he was incapable of receiving them, and warned that the land owner could throw them out of his land if he chose to do so. However, they do not intend to take ownership of the land; they only want the Federation and the government to help them. Notably, they requested that the government provide land for them to live near basic services, hospitals, schools, and work.
In 2013 , these families became even more poor after the storm Manuel and the hurricane Ingrid struck their territory, affecting their crops and houses. Ever since, they have been unable to overcome the situation.
The indigenous group demanded change. Out of all 300 families, there are 150 who are unwilling to return to their villages if the state government refuses to meet their demands .
“We have no healthcare, no education, no work, and as of late, we have a food shortage, Shouldn’t that be enough for people to open their eyes? Governments are well aware of our living conditions, but they have done nothing about it ,” said Sabino Flores , one of the displaced persons.
Whenever someone falls ill in one of their villages, tragedy unfolds. Sabino claimed that in order to find a doctor, they have to travel all the way to Tlapa, which is three hours away. But if something like this happens during the night, tragedy deepens: People have to pay a special fare that can cost up to MXN$1,000 because there are no doctors nearby.
“Social welfare programs do not exist here, and when they do, they only benefit the mayor and his close associates.”
Around 600 people –200 of which are children- are currently camping in Tlapa with plastic sheeting to protect them from the sun. They sleep on the floor, without access to toilets and showers. Most of them have gone five days without bathing and the little money they had is beginning to run out .
Many of them survive thanks to the support from their families and countrymen that have lived in Tlapa for several years.
However, they prefer camping in unsanitary conditions than returning to their villages, which have been forgotten by the government: “We would rather die here than return to our villages to die more painfully.”
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