The southern Mexican state of Chiapas, once considered one of the safest in the country, is now engulfed in violence. Clashes between the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels have left hundreds dead or disappeared.

Chiapas

The southern Mexican state of Chiapas, once considered one of the country's safest regions, is experiencing significant instability due to violent clashes between major criminal groups. The conflict has resulted in numerous deaths and the displacement of more than 20,000 people, with hundreds seeking refuge in neighboring Guatemala. 

Authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel and created elite forces to combat organized crime, but residents and NGOs allege abuses and collusion by these units. Many displaced families are living in precarious conditions, fearing for their safety and uncertain about returning home, while Mexican officials deny their refugee status and suggest possible criminal involvement.

Mexico cartel violence forces residents to flee to Guatemala

Once among the safest places in Mexico, today thousands of soldiers, police officers and National Guard patrol the southern state of Chiapas. It's the government's strategy to curb a spiraling security situation as the country's two main criminal groups battle it out for control. The conflict has left scores dead and more than 20,000 people displaced, leading to the creation of this elite force, known here as PACALES. We're trained for high-impact operations, so we carry out operations against the leaders of these criminal organizations. We've detained leaders, confiscated land where they operate, as well as their weapons in cash. This small town of some 2,500 residents is at the heart of the conflict that has gripped the state for years. It's right on the border with Guatemala. Its location is key for the trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons, migrants and just about anything else one can think of. Controlling this area means controlling the profits that come from all those trades. And even though things look very calm right now, these officers tell us that if they were to leave, it would be a matter of hours before criminal, illegal activity would return openly to these streets. These images from 2023 show the extent of control that organized crime exerts in this area, with residents pressured into applauding the arrival of Sinaloa cartel members in their community. Today, far from resolved, the conflict bubbles beneath the surface, with residents and NGOs accusing the PACALES of arbitrary detentions and collusion with organized crime. And it's forcing people out. Over the last year, hundreds of local residents crossed the border into Guatemala seeking safety. The latest, a group of 161 people, including 69 children, fled last month after receiving death threats. Since then, many of them have been living in this outdoor basketball court, too scared to show their faces for fear of what could happen if they return home. Authorities in Mexico, keen to prove their security strategy is working, have denied these families are actual refugees and accused them instead of being involved with criminal gangs. I would ask the governor to come here and put himself in our position, to eat this food, to sleep on this dusty floor. We're here because we have nothing. We walked here from Mexico. I have no money to pay to rent a place. Historically, Guatemalans have fled to Mexico either to escape violence or en route to the United States. These families fear they might be the start of a mass migration in the other direction. They just hope that the violence which forced them out doesn't keep them from their homes much longer. Julia Galeano, Al Jazeera, Chiapas, Mexico.

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