Chilapa: The Murderous Saga of Los Ardillos

Isaías Lucas was murdered by the narco-paramilitary group Los Ardillos in the community of Xicotlán, in the municipality of Chilapa. It was just past 7:00 a.m. on April 6 when gunmen opened fire on him from a white, armored pickup truck, taking his life. For two years, his colleagues had been requesting his inclusion in the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, but his application was denied.

Isaías was not alone. He was accompanied by Bernardino Hilario Ocotlán, Ernesto Hilario Ocotlán, and Isacar Villalba Rosario. They, too, were murdered. They worked as masons and were in the process of building a house.

Both the community of Xicotlán and that of Tula—their hometown—are part of the Indigenous and Popular Council of Guerrero “Emiliano Zapata” (Cipog-EZ). They were members of the justice system in the *Montaña Baja* (Lower Mountain) region of Guerrero: specifically, they belonged to the Community Police of the Founding Peoples (CRAC-PF). To date, 67 members of the organization have been murdered and 26 have been forcibly disappeared by Los Ardillos.

Cipog-EZ is a member of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI), an organization with a long history of struggle dating back at least to 1992. It was formally founded in 2008, centered around the Emperador Cuauhtémoc neighborhood in Chilpancingo, where its leader, Cirino Plácido, resided. Its origins trace back to the struggles of the Na Savi, Me’pháá, Nahua, and Ñamnkué peoples, who, beginning in 1992, began fighting for their rights to autonomy and self-determination, eventually forming the Guerrero Council “500 Years of Resistance.”

The CRAC-PF was founded in the community of El Potrerillo, in the municipality of Malinaltepec, on February 23, 2014, amidst a deep crisis within the CRAC-PC. More than 23 agrarian and civil authorities, councilors, police officers, and regional commanders attended the gathering. They established 11 principles, including respect for the will of the people rather than that of the government; the assembly as the ultimate decision-making authority; and the administration of justice through re-education—specifically, community labor, service to the people, and guidance from the council of elders. They immediately emerged as a counterweight to the criminal groups operating in the region.

The armed assassins who killed Isaías and his companions were forced to travel back and forth across the Jagüey crossroads, where an army barracks is located. This location is less than 15 minutes away from Xicotlán. The soldiers saw nothing.

Los Ardillos currently control Chilapa; the territory was previously dominated by Los Rojos. Both groups were once factions of the Beltrán Leyva cartel. The group cultivates, processes, and sells drugs; engages in extortion and the collection of “protection fees”; carries out kidnappings, murders, and torture; forcibly disappears individuals; sets fire to businesses and public transportation; and has even gone so far as to seize control of the city of Chilpancingo.

Over the course of the last four administrations, Los Ardillos have effectively governed the municipality of Chilapa. Aldy Esteban Román, the previous mayor, now serves as a local deputy for the PRI party. Officially, the city is governed by a PRI-PRD coalition, although in other municipalities—such as Chilpancingo—these parties align themselves with the Morena political party. 

The municipal president for the 2024–2027 term is Mercedes Carballo Chino, the sister-in-law of Celso Ortega Jiménez, whom the State Attorney General’s Office has identified as the leader of the criminal group. However, the person who truly runs the municipal government is Celso’s son.

Various allegations indicate that PRD deputy Bernardo Ortega is the brother of Iván Ortega and Celso Ortega, the leaders of the clan. Their father was imprisoned for the murder of two agents from the AFI (Federal Investigation Agency) and was executed shortly after his release. Their network, however, extends far beyond Chilapa, enabling them to operate with complete impunity. They exert control over mayors as well as municipal, state, and investigative police forces.

Since last Wednesday, the 7th, Los Ardillos have attacked the communities of Chicotlán, Tula, and Acahuehuetlán using heavy-caliber weapons and drones. The gunfights haven’t ceased. More than a thousand families—mostly women and children—have been displaced. Many were forced to seek refuge in Coszacán. What is surprising is that in Tula, there is an intersection where the Army had established a checkpoint. However, according to the displaced residents, on April 6, the soldiers withdrew from the site, leaving the route open for the narco-paramilitaries to enter. The same thing occurred at the checkpoint located at the Jagüey intersection, as well as at another post situated on Cerro Cruz—in the upper section of the Tula community. All the soldiers withdrew from these locations. Moreover, during the time they were stationed there, they never detained any of the armed individuals.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the remains of four individuals were discovered on the highway leading toward Tlapa. Among the victims were José Guadalupe Ahuejote and Víctor Ahuejote Arribeño, both from Xicotlán.

Since 2019, Los Ardillos have sought to extend their control—beyond the municipality of Quechultenango, which serves as their operational hub—over the territories leading toward the *Montaña Baja* (Lower Mountain) and *Montaña Alta* (Upper Mountain) regions. The former encompasses Chilapa and Hueycantenango—an indigenous community that currently remains under their iron grip.

On January 15, 2019, Los Ardillos launched a violent incursion into the very communities that had given birth to the CRAC-PF (Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities–Community Police of the Founding Peoples). They forcibly displaced residents from Tula, Tepila, and Xicotlán. The events unfolding now represent a repetition of that earlier act of aggression. In Tepila, Los Ardillos forcibly disappeared 30 individuals hailing from 30 different families. The situation became dire; for nearly a year, the CRAC-PF was effectively wiped out from the area.

Nevertheless, the CRAC-PF regrouped. Then, on December 27, they successfully broke through the siege and reclaimed their territory. That confrontation resulted in numerous fatalities. From that time until now, the situation has been extremely tense.

The objective behind these attacks by Los Ardillos is to seize—through bloodshed and fire—control of the route running from the municipal seat of Chilapa to the community of Tula, located in the upper region of La Montaña, and to eliminate the indigenous people who oppose them. Since the communities’ resistance and autonomy hinder their ability to transport drugs to Acapulco, Chilpancingo, or Mexico City, they are waging war against them in order to drive them out of their territories.

The criminal rampage of Los Ardillos must be brought to a halt. Justice must come to Chilapa, just as it must come to the entire state of Guerrero. It is time for these communities to be able to live in peace.

Source: La Jornada