By Ricardo Lezama 
Residents of the Mexican state of Chiapas are being displaced in droves due to escalating narco, or drug cartel, violence. The drug cartel influence in Chiapas has been a trending topic for years, with disputes between cartel operatives from both the Sinaloa Cartel and the emerging Chiapas-Guatemala cartel which is disputing the coveted border region for the trafficking and cultivation of drugs.
Social Media Concerns
On social media, various commentators highlighted concern for the situation where more than 500 Mexicans, which includes children, women, men, and the elderly, have sought refuge in Guatemala due to the rampant narco violence in Chiapas. The constant warring between rival cartels is leading to spill over effects. Additionally, groups of cartel henchmen are booting people out of coveted land for cultivation, and this is taking its toll most on indigenous communities in the region.
At Mexico-Guatemala border, Guatemalan troops from army infantry divisions have been located in garrisons aligned with the mountains of the Sierra Madre. The Guatemalan military is essentially guarding the way for these refugees to make their way for shelter in Guatemala.
Estoy en la línea divisoria entre México y Guatemala, y desde este lado confirmé que los pueblos abandonados de Chiapas por la violencia, siguen bajo control del narco.
— Mariana Morales (@MarianaMorale_s) July 28, 2024
Para evitar que la violencia traspase la frontera, el EjércitoGuatemalteco se desplegó🧵 pic.twitter.com/PkkRQND3Is
Guatemala’s Migration Institute confirmed that these displaced Mexican nationals currently reside in the community of Cuilco, Huehuetenango, highlighting the transnational impact of the issue.
Some tweets pointed fingers at the current government under the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Critics claim that the law enforcement has failed to protect the residents of Chiapas, allowing drug cartels to strengthen their hold. On social media, many are outraged at the situation unfolding and maintain that these events should not be happening in Mexico, underlining the dire living conditions that have forced the affected citizens to leave their homeland.
Calls for Action
In the midst of the alarming situation, X and social media users demand government attention and intervention. Calls for public figures to acknowledge and discuss the mass displacement have been expressed. In the remote mountains of la Sierra de Chiapas, there is a sense of despair as entire generations of families are displaced because of the greed and need to cultivate drugs in remote but water rich areas.
A repeated point on social media is that Mexican federal officials visit Chiapas to understand the dire situation, seeing the urgent need for representative justice. As the turmoil unfolds, ongoing coverage of the issue will be critical in garnering further national and international attention.
#LoMásVisto
— REFORMA (@Reforma) July 28, 2024
Dos horas le dieron los criminales a los pobladores de la Sierra de Chiapas para que dejaran sus casas, si no morirían a balazos, según testimonios.https://t.co/MkHQIGhLy4