October 20, 2023
It’s a lie that the state is overwhelmed by crime or insecurity. What is truly overwhelmed is their lack of will to address the scourge of insecurity and…
The Federal and State governments of MORENA have the state of Guerrero drowning in rivers of blood and in a humanitarian crisis that they insist doesn’t exist. By constantly denying or minimizing the constant clashes, the dozens of intentional homicides that are confirmed each month, the disappearances, the displacement of thousands of entire families, and many other crimes, they distract citizens with the electoral circus or force them to ignore reality and remain silent so that they don’t get the crumbs.
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, Mr. José Santos Nava, who lived in the “Frente de Defensa Popular” neighborhood of the municipal capital, disappeared in Chilapa when he went downtown to do some shopping. He never returned home. On Thursday, October 19, the prosecutor’s office notified his family that his body had been found, but they did not say where he was found. It is worth mentioning that he and his wife, Ms. Ma. Alejandra Valle González, belonged to the Collective of Victims of Chilapa and Indigenous Peoples, since their 14-year-old son, Benjamín Santos Valle, disappeared in Chilapa on August 18, 2015, and his whereabouts are still unknown.
The family is originally from the Nahuatl indigenous community of Ahuixtla, municipality of Chilapa de Álvarez, and they have been living in the “Frente de Defensa Popular” neighborhood since 2015. Popular Defense.”
It is important to mention that due to poverty, Mr. José set up a small grocery stand near the agro-industrial market. However, in 2017, City Hall staff began harassing him, demanding that he vacate the premises. One night, he even suffered the theft of his merchandise. With the support of the Morelos Center, he managed to get them to leave him alone for a while. However, in recent months, the harassment has resumed. Therefore, it is not ruled out that this was the cause of his disappearance and subsequent murder, since Mr. José was a 71-year-old man, very humble and peaceful.
This outrageous crime adds to the entire chain of intentional homicides and attacks that have been occurring daily in the state of Guerrero, where leaders, officials or former officials, and ordinary people of all sexes and ages are victims of the violence and insecurity generated by government bodies that manage or cover up narco-paramilitary groups and criminals.
On October 16, 2023, the remains of C. Pablo Zeferino Ángel were returned to his wife, Kenya Adilene Baltazar Acho, after he disappeared on March 8, 2017, and was found (dismembered and burned in a taxi in Chilapa) on March 17 of the same year, meaning he remained missing in the SEMEFO (National Police of Chilapa) for nearly six years. Mrs. Kenya also belongs to the Collective of Victims of Chilapa and Indigenous Peoples.
It is a lie that the state is overwhelmed by crime or insecurity. What is far beyond measure is its lack of will and honesty in addressing the scourge of insecurity and the lack of truth and justice for the victims of violence. Everyone knows the power they have given to the military, economic power, weapons, and technology.
Let it be clear, we are not conservatives or members of any political or religious party, much less We are not the victims of any narco-paramilitary or criminal group, nor are we resentful, as the president has said. We are Human Rights Defenders who do not sell out or give in. We will surely die in poverty one way or another, but they will never accuse us of seeking personal gain.
Despite everything, former Governor Evelyn Cesia Salgado Pineda (whom someone has said is a cosmetic governor) says every day that there are fewer homicides, that there is more security, and that the Coordination Roundtable for Peacebuilding in Guerrero is producing good results. She even congratulates the institutions that are part of that roundtable. Every time she announces that security operations will be strengthened, the number of intentional homicides, disappearances, displacements, and confrontations increases.
We continue to fight for the families of the disappeared to have a legal framework that guarantees their right to truth, justice, full reparation for damages, and all rights related to enforced disappearances. by the state or by private individuals.
Once again, we hold the federal, state, and municipal governments responsible for the safety and physical integrity of human rights defenders, journalists, and social activists, and we demand guarantees for us to carry out our work.
We demand full reparation for the damages caused to the families to whom the remains of their missing relatives have been returned.
We demand that the representatives of all parliamentary groups and committees of the state Congress immediately approve the Law on the Disappearance of Persons of the state of Guerrero, its regulations, and a sufficient emergency budget to allow its implementation.
Sincerely,
For a Fraternal Society and a Dignified Life!
Ms. Teodomira Rosales Sierra
Mr. José Santos Nava