Ostula Denounces Attacks by the CJNG and Accuses the Navy of Attempting to Enter Its Beaches

The Ostula community in Michoacán denounces attacks by the CJNG and alleges attempts by the Navy to access its beaches, demanding state intervention.

The Nahuatl indigenous community of Santa María Ostula reported new attacks by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and alleged that, at the same time, members of the Navy attempted to enter their beaches while attacks involving drones and explosives were taking place in the La Cofradía district.

In a statement addressed to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and various national and international organizations, community authorities noted that the attacks occurred at two distinct times on Wednesday, May 27.

“It is noteworthy that, parallel to the morning attack, personnel attached to the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico attempted to enter the community’s beaches—several kilometers away from the epicenter of the attacks,” the indigenous authorities denounced.

The community asserted that the CJNG has maintained a presence in the Sierra-Costa region for several years, and alleged that the criminal group has occupied entire settlements through violence, forced displacement, and the murder of land defenders.

“The CJNG has also struck deals with mining companies and with groups that seek only the dispossession of our territories—with the consequent destruction of Mother Earth—for their own economic gain; and we state this emphatically: we will never allow it,” they declared.

In the document, Ostula also questioned the conduct of federal forces and alleged omissions regarding the criminal group’s operations in the area.

They asserted that the security forces carry out only temporary deployments, failing to dismantle the criminal organization.

“The CJNG continues to operate with impunity; proof of this lies in the explosive attacks they launch using drones, the hundreds of operatives they dispatch to strafe the homes of our residents, and the terror they sow in exchange for substantial financial gain,” they stated.

The community demanded the permanent establishment of an Inter-institutional Operations Base (BOI) in Los Parejos; the dismantling of the CJNG; the safe return of missing community members; and guarantees for the functioning of their Communal Guard and their indigenous autonomy.

Source: Contramuro