Mica for cartelinsider.com
The violence caused by the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in the state of Chiapas has led some tourism companies from European countries to cancel visits to the Lacandon Jungle, which raises a legitimate question: What authority is taking care of this natural lung affected by organized crime groups?
The Lacandona Rainforest is one of the most representative places of the biological wealth of Mexico, as it is home to 15% of the country’s plants, 27% of its mammals, and 30% of its birds, according to data from the federal government.
This place covers an area of 1.8 million hectares located in the east of the state of Chiapas, in the municipalities of Las Margaritas, Altamirano, Ocosingo, Palenque, Maravilla Tenejapa, Marqués de Comillas-Zamora Pico de Oro and Benito Juárez.
Despite its natural riches, this place also operates under organized crime to carry out drug trafficking routes due to its border with Guatemala. For the past two years, members of the CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel have infiltrated roads and municipalities, mainly in the municipality of Ocosingo where there are archaeological sites such as Bonampak and Yaxchilan.
In these places, the presence of armed men has been reported on some stretches of road. For this reason, the Mexican company ATC Touroperadores has decided that its tourists only visit Palenque, without venturing into the Lacandon Jungle.
In a statement, it detailed that the tourism agencies from France, England and Belgium that they represent have decided not to take their clients to that area. The newspaper El Universal gathered testimonies from tour operators that indicate that for years, alternative routes have been sought to avoid crossing through communities that are in conflict.
They added that in Bonampak, tourist operators have seen armed men at the entrance, who indicate the time at which they can enter the archaeological zone; they offer them a “security guard” that demands a payment of one thousand pesos for their service, in addition to the fee for entering the site.
According to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), the Government of Mexico has been protecting this Chiapaneca jungle, which has two biosphere reserves- Montes Azules and Lacan-Tún-, two natural monuments- Bonampak and Yaxchilán- and three areas for the protection of flora and fauna- Chan-Kin, Metzabok, and Nahá- since 1978.
For this reason, elements of the Mexican Army and the National Guard maintain a presence in the Chancalá region, as well as elements from the state Public Security Ministry who are providing support.
Meanwhile, on the stretches of road that go from Ocosingo to Palenque, security is the responsibility of the state police, which also has a special tourist unit.
The conflict between drug cartels in Chiapas has resulted in over a thousand disappearances and approximately three thousand displaced people in areas bordering Guatemala, affecting communities in eight Chiapas municipalities. According to activists’ testimonies and reports, the recent confrontations between the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG have intensified insecurity and violence in the region.
The alarming situation in the region was expressed by Dora Roblero García, director of Frayba, who reported the absence of an accurate count of missing persons and gave an account of continuous contact with displaced families from municipalities such as Chicomuselo, Bella Vista, and Frontera Comalapa. The territorial fight between the aforementioned drug cartels has caused an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty among the civilian population.
According to the recorded numbers, Chiapas has 1,086 reports of disappearances, which doesn’t position it among the states with the highest number of cases in Mexico, but it does generate growing concern among human rights defenders and civil organizations.
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Mica
Email: mica@cartelinsider.com
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