Residents of Tila, Chiapas, had to leave their town in the hands of organized crime groups

At the end of the Corpus Christi celebrations and while some pilgrims were still entering the church of San Mateo, in Tila, Chiapas, men armed with long weapons, in white vehicles and in police cars army, began firing into the air on June 4. in this municipality of Chiapas bordering Tabasco.

Three days later, these same gunmen killed residents, burned homes and businesses, raped women and forced the displacement of more than five thousand people belonging to the indigenous Chol ethnic group.

Trucks with armed men on board lined up one after the other during the first days of violence as if to show their power, says a now-displaced resident in the town of Yajalón, Chiapas; looking for shelter.

#Chiapas These are the conditions we have to take refuge from the pobladores who face violence and insecurity in #TILA.
In case of lack of adequate spaces before this forced desplazamiento, the family weary already in the fast football of #Yajalon. pic.twitter.com/l8ycmw3bJS

– Isain Mandujano (@isain) June 7, 2024

Some of the hooded men carried waist radios, in which they received the names of the people they were supposed to kill, said displaced people from Tila, a municipality about 230 kilometers from the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez.

In broad daylight, the armed men who, days before, had stolen the army’s weapons and vehicles took to the city’s loudspeakers and shouted that all young people should come to them to join the criminal group.

After several hours, many now-displaced residents who spoke to the local press said they were being held captive, even in one house there were up to four families.

Fr #Tila there #FuerzaDeTarea of 500 elements which were added to the head of the municipality #Chol of #Chiapas received today receipts from @SEDENAmx. There #IglesiaCatólica Yes #NGO request an apoyo to attend a #Desplazados Fr #Yajalon Yes #Petalcingo. Sigues the uncertainty in the population pic.twitter.com/80iXF4bMgg

– Gabriela Coutiño (@GabyCoutino) June 9, 2024

No one wants to return to Tila under the conditions of what appears to be drug cartel violence.

The movements began last week and until Monday June 10, victims continued to arrive. Mary is one of them, an intuition told her that from the first days of violence, she should give her two dogs a bath so that when they left the city, the animals would be clean.

This shelter, located half an hour from Tila, receives not only clothes, but also food, water and dog food.

Doctors treating the displaced say most Tila residents suffer from nervous breakdowns, anxiety, sadness, depression, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses.

TYT Newsroom