Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Shouting In Michoacán: Voices Against The Surrender Part 1




Note from the editor: “Shouting in Michoacán: Voices against the surrender” is a journalistic work that goes into social networks to give a voice to the victims of violence in that state.  It is by anonymous citizens- from websites dedicated to fighting organized crime-they say, for the first time, what happens on their land.

By: Oscar Balderas


August 20, 2013— When you finish listening to my story you’ll think I’m making it up.  You won’t notice that I’m talking about Mexico, of Michoacán, the land of the independentists José María Morelos y Pavón and Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez.  And why do I speak of them?  Because here we are slaves trying to become free from this hell that has been roasting us since 2006.
To begin with, I will say that my name is Juan, but that’s not my real name.  If I were to tell you, I will probably end up like my neighbor Ramón, who soldiers took from his home in the early morning.  They put him in a truck without license plates, they beat him with a board until they ripped the skin from his buttocks and then threw him unconsciously in a ditch where some dogs killed him.  He left a widow who doesn’t eat nor sleep and two daughters who’ve wet the bed ever since their dad is gone.  It was all because he denounced an illegal search from some “army guys” who stole some jewelry from his sister.  Do you see why I tell you that my name is Juan?


I live in Pajacuarán, but I won’t tell you close to which hill, dirt road or my street.  If they look for me, they will find me and I don’t want my wife or my son to find my body carved up, burnt, decapitated, hanged, or skinned on the street before my neighbors can put a white sheet over me and hide the signs of torture that some people talk about when talking about what happens in my town.

I will also tell you that today is August 14, 2013 and I’m very afraid.  You can’t see me, but I answer your questions via Facebook and my sweaty hands slip on the keyboard.  I want to believe that you’re a journalist and that you aren’t a narco, municipal police officer, federal police officer, community police officer, self defense member or a soldier who in a few hours will come for me and with the printed evidence “grind” me, but here it no longer signifies when preparing a salsa for some enjoyable enchiladas that are typical here, but of shaving the skin with a machete and throwing you in caustic soda to consume you like a snail frying in salt.

Why have I decided to talk now? Because since 2006, when we started getting fucked up, I thought that the best safeguard was to be silent.  That, if I stayed still, the scythe of crime wouldn’t graze us and one day, after so many damned nights, I would awake in my town and we’d look at ourselves without any scratches.  None of that happened.  I kept quiet and that didn’t prevent anything because in 2007 some federal police officers sexually abused my sister-in-law under the pretext of doing a bodily search in search of cocaine; in 2008, they found my son’s best friend hanging from a bridge; in 2009 we said our goodbyes to “Don Chava”, the owner of a grocery store where ever since I was a kid would sell me popsicles.  They found him without any ears or fingers because he didn’t pay dues to La Familia Michoacana.

And things got worse: in 2010 came the wave of kidnappings of young people who refused to participate in the drug trade and now we assume are slaves working in some marijuana field or are buried in a narco grave; in 2011, my godson’s first communion was suspended because of a three hour shootout between soldiers and gunmen; and in 2012, on a morning (I won’t tell you what day or month) my house awoke with bullet holes in the front as evidence that everyone in this town has a horror story to tell.

In 2013 I’m afraid that the next one will be my son, who is about to finish high school.  Or my wife.  Or my sisters, who also live here.  I know that it’s only a matter of time, which is approaching, that every time I hear those voices getting closer, those mocking voices that come to your house and yell at you “bitch!”, “son of a bitch!” “whore!”, “faggot!” and who enjoy saying phrases like “you’re fucking dead!”, “now you’ll see what’s good!”, and “you’re going to prefer being dead, fucking Indian!”.

This is why I want to talk and say that this isn’t calm.  We are dying over here.  They are killing us and we’re dying from fear.  This isn’t life and you can’t say that this is the rule of law in Pajacuarán: there aren’t any more loud parties, food vendors on the streets, the urge to go out for a walk at dawn and talk while the starry sky gets covered.   Here, even going to get tortillas we speak with love, we kiss, we say our goodbyes with a “come back soon”, because we don’t know if we’ll meet again.

My story is like many others here: we live missing those who have been killed; concerned about who’s going to kill us.  We drag violence from the past to the present and we become hopeless about the future, because since 2006 they promised us that this land would be “cool” and it has only become hotter beneath our feet.

No one talks about this, some for convenience and others because they’re afraid of coming to Michoacán.  I have decided to speak out because we need help.  In my town there are too many who have been: left wrapped in blankets, left inside trunks, left wrapped in tarp, people forced to dig a pit and then buried, men who appear without tongues, women with torn chests, children with a coup de grace.

My story can’t end like this.  I, John, want to live longer, grow old with my wife, watch my son grow up, have grandchildren, and be able to walk by the sorghum fields again with the tranquility of a child in his home.

I want, like you, to think that I’m making all this up.  And when this happens, I’ll smile, triumphantly, because this will mean that the scythe of death is far from my grandchildren.

And to talk, albeit from sweaty fearful keystrokes, I’ll operate.

33 comments:

  1. So sad, being at the mercy of cowards.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

    -- Thomas Paine (The Crisis, December 1776)

    ReplyDelete
  3. First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Socialist.

    Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Jew.

    Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

    The quotation stems from Niemöller's lectures during the early postwar period.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Everyone should have the right to have weapons ! fucking government of Mexico doesn't give that right. Que dios ayude a nuestro Mexico

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the messican government can only have their police and military and friendly sicarios armed,if you not tight with them you are supposed to pay and pay and pay for living in "their"country,after they come begging for your vote, they bite the hand that fed them.BUT SOME DAY...

      Delete
  5. if only the Mexican government wasn't so corrupt because if they were not all pieces of shit, then something serious could be done. For instance, they should send thousands of marina and army troops in each state so they can search every home, business, ranch, and all forest areas. If they locate anything to do with organized crime during these searches then those ppl will be arrested or shot. just one big sweep of each state with soldiers, armored battalions, helicopters and jets and they could get rid of a lot of these fucks. but that's just a big pipe dream of mine that will never ever happen. it would be cool though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. everybody in messico thinks those working in a government position are the AUTHORITY which is false,the authority resides on the people,the government is enthrusted with powers to keep order,not to exploit criminals for the kickbacs,a corrupt government is worse than the criminals...

      Delete
  6. Sad. We have the soldiers come from Southern Mexico here to Chihuahua. They are all short in stature as they are closer to being indigenous. They are darker skinned and look different from the people in Chihuahua as a whole. Yet they are killing the indigenous people in small pueblos, and farming areas. You would think that they of all people would have passion for those people that they resemble more then others. Is this their ancestors coming out? The ones who enslaved and killed other tribes. I guess that once you give a soldier or a policeman a badge, with the type of mentality they have. They will just use it to steal and murder. Because they have no heart, conscience, or soul. The poor people are getting hit at both ends. They are stuck in between the criminals in government and the Narco criminals and more. So sad!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know what sad, a majority of Mexicans treat these indigenous southerners like shit. México is truly a backward nation where a cast system and rascism rule the world.

      Delete
    2. name names,places and dates,if you can make it here and you know,the big bosses will have a hard time covering their asses,and the heads of the principals in charge will roll,just make sure they don't catch you my friend,and good luck...

      Delete
  7. It reads like it was written by a gringo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The gringo comment was just stupid.its sad thats all u had to say about this story was that.no one should ever have to live like that no matter where they come from!!

      Delete
    2. Do you understand Spanish? Se lee así porque el traductor no supo hacer los pequeños cambios que dan sentido y fluidez a la traducción en inglés. Direct translation reads funny, but it makes sense if you are fluent in both languages and can deduce what was actually written in Spanish based on context. ¿Comprendes?

      Delete
  8. Wished to GOD the United States would get involved, and help the innocent, and destroy the bad we the United States puts are nose in every other countries business so why not Mexico"s

    ReplyDelete
  9. All this killing of innocent people and for what, money and power. I've always loved the people of Mexico it is such a beautiful country and the people are very nice and caring. The scum that walks the streets now need to be removed and dealt with once and for all, oh but people need to show compassion for the murderers of women and children because we don't want to have the death penalty. These scum bags need to be executed so that we don't see what we had earlier this year and that's prison breaks. You have old dirt bags who let the young ones go out and die in shot outs with other young ones or governmental crime gangs, mainly the cops and army. I hope at some point in the near future people wake up to the fact that making drugs illegal only gets people killed and criminals rich, legalize it. It's really to bad that the politicians don't want to legalize the shit because their getting richer then anyone else.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What's wrong with all these idiots saying to legalize drugs. the whole point of this war is because they don't want people doing drugs

      Delete
    2. Whole point of war is to stop drugs???? Who is the idiot??? Wake up! "They" make more money off drugs than anybody...bankers, politicians, etc. Don't be naive!

      Delete
    3. the ones fighting like bitches,are in it for the money,killing and dying,but their bosses make the big money and pay the corrupt politicians who really run everything behind the curtains...

      Delete
    4. the farmers never see the money,all of it goes to the intermediaries and their bosses that got it all set.the government could buy from the farmers at better prices and sell it cheaper,the bad asses would still find some other dirty business,how did the taliban eradicate drugs in Afghanistan?death penalty that's how,but that was "inhumane"...only people sponsored by other countries saved the business,and now it is all over again...

      Delete
  10. why is he afraid of the community police (auto defense)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because they are just as corruptible as any other armed group. 'Community police' is often simply a guise.

      Delete
  11. Its a matter of time till they kill chapo guzman

    ReplyDelete
  12. have read many stories of this kind in Michoacan and other parts of Mexico. Mexicans will not be able to organize to stop these bandits?? As we were able to expel the Spanish? In carrying out the revolution at the cost of 1,000,000 dead? Or the Cristero Revolution with 250,000 victims. Honestly I think it was in these struggles ideals and threats no less important than those we have today. Today we face us as slaves who, fearful, we kill, behead, burn, poison our children with their rotten lifestyle, rape our women, take away what we have gained, kidnap, torture etc. What else do we have to wait? We see in other countries face as brave tyrants for much less offenses. The government does not help us, it is often part of the problem

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. like other Mexican big wars,this one will have to be financed by the us,as a matter of fact it is being financed by us money right now,but the investors are trying to shore up their profits first,then they will come and try to take care of the people,but the people still won't be happy because it means they will get it up the ass again...?!?!@#$% what?

      Delete
  13. God do not give a fuck about us or at least thats what it seems or maybe on thiz earth devils got more power than god

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think its you all who forgot about god. Knowledge.

      Delete
  14. Holy shit I guess Indians are just getting fcked everywhere. Mexico needs batman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. El Batman is in jail because of la Barbie,who thought they was the Untouchables,now the only one that will be able to help will be the chapolin colorado! maybe soon as he gets panocho colorado cesa out of jail he'll come and help the people of messico, how about for some amnesty?how about that chapolin?AMNESTY for cleaning up messico? ask,that you may be given...and you can take some messican ginirals out with the garbage,and some presidents past and present too,a como el kilo de caca,chapo?dang! my mouth is watering just to think...

      Delete
  15. Please bring your whole family to live with me and mine! I will pray for you - NOONE should have to live like this. It breaks my heart...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Desde México, I do not have an airplane, but I know someone who has two. Reality gets twisted and a marijuano tries to prose as an innocente. My name is Juanito and give me enough time I will fabricate enough journalistic esterico to feed 500 hectarias de mota. But I must remain anonymous. Why? It's not that los soldados ni marinas will come for me! It is because if my vecinos ever learned I tried to pass this caca off as reality they would run me out of the municipio. What do you expect a Zapoteco marina to do if a Yaqui marijuano shoots at him. Drop his rifle and shout "Hug Me! We Bro's!"

    ReplyDelete
  17. Every mexican that can fight back already ran to the usa.

    ReplyDelete
  18. mexicans in the USA are going back to mexico and fighting these cockroaches. I know of sine who were deported, started a business in Mexico. when the cartels showed up to ask for protection fees, they purchased AR-15s instead of paying and killed a few of them. they haven't been back for protection money.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.
Envía fotos, vídeos, notas, enlaces o información
Todo 100% Anónimo;

borderlandbeat@gmail.com