Attack on Taxi Leads to New Blockades in Guerrero

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from : El Sol

By: Natividad Ambrosio
Iguala, Guerrero Feb 17, 2018

Two women were killed and three others injured, including the driver of the vehicle, a collective taxi, in an armed attack perpetrated by a group of men in military style clothing on the Teloloapan-Iguala Highway en route to Pachivia,  in the Municipality of Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc, in the Northern region of the State of Guerrero.

According to police reports, the events occurred minutes before 7 am , Thursday, Feb 15, when drivers using the route called for help from the Rescue and Public Security bodies.  Based on the first investigation of the incident, two women were killed in the attack and three more were injured, among them the taxi driver named Jesus N.

Emergency service personnel arrived , who provided assistance to the occupants of the taxi, transferring the three injured people to clinics in the city of Teloloapan where their health status is reported as serious.

Meanwhile agents of the Public Prosecutor's Office carried out the legal proceedings and transferred the bodies of the two dead women to the Semefo in Iguala.

The military checkpoints were removed about two weeks ago near this point on the Iguala-Ciudad Altamirano road.

After the attack on the taxi that left two women dead and three more wounded, the self-defense forces of Teloloapan started a blockade on the federal highway Iguala-Ciudad Altamirano to demand safety and the reinstallation of Mixed Operations Bases (BOM) and Revision Checkpoints by military and state police.

In addition, they demand the arrest of members of the criminal group that operates in the area and in Michoacán, to whom they attribute the attacks, assassinations, robberies, extortions, and other crimes of which the inhabitants of Teloloapan have been victims.

The blockade by the armed community self-defense civilians maintained the road blocks from 8am until 3 pm , stranding hundreds of motorists and transporters on the roadway that connects the Northern region with the Tierra Caliente region of the state of Guerrero.

The members of the Tecampanera Community Police were distributed in groups throughout the Iguala-Ciudad Altamirano highway, blocking the federal highway with stones, sticks and vehicles, preventing the circulation of road users.

The  community protesters who, in addition to their weapons, some of whom had their faces covered, warned that the blockade will continue until the governor of the state, Hector Astudillo Flores, intervenes to resolve their demands. the State Government has not set an official position on the attack on the taxi.

Members of the self-defense groups resumed the blockade they suspended on Thursday afternoon on the Iguala-Ciudad Altamirano highway, so that more than 24 hours after the obstruction of roads in Teloloapan, economic activity was once again paralyzed , commercial transportation and schools were closed in the area.

The residents, led by the armed civilian Community Tecampanera Police, shut down traffic once again causing thousands of cars to be stranded on the road, to demand the installation of no less than five security filters on the highway, because, after the departure of the Army, 15 days ago , general violence intensified.

One of the protesters announced that the communities are  demanding that five BOM roadblock revision checkpoints be placed in the community of Pachivia, in Condesa, Pochote,  Toltepec and another point in that area of ​​the entity with the presence of military and state police in mixed operations bases.

The locals warn that they will not withdraw their own roadblock until these security points are in place to inhibit the activity of organized crime groups.  Yesterday afternoon, the mayor of Teloloapan, Benjamin Suárez Beltrán, joined his community's protest. 150 activists set up the initial roadblock and they were later joined by 100 more community members.

In that municipality, classes were suspended yesterday, banks were closed, departmental stores did not open and public transport suspended all activity, so the city was paralyzed. It is estimated that close to a thousand businesses closed their doors and some 30 schools of all educational levels suspended classes.

Meanwhile, the blockade keeps hundreds of motorists and transporters stranded on this road that connects the northern region with Tierra Caliente in the state of Guerrero.

Around 12 noon, a convoy of state police arrived at the entrance to the municipality of Teloloapan, where the commander in charge spoke with a commission of Community Police who maintain the blockade to dissuade them from maintaining their roadblock and free up the roadway.

Meanwhile, about 200 police elements of the anti-riot team were deployed along the length and breadth of the road, in front of the site where the blockade was installed, pending the order to evict and disarm the self-defense groups if necessary.

In the area there were moments of tension at this point when the Tecampaneros Community Policemen were being threatened by a clash between the state and community groups.

It was reported about 4pm, Mexican Army troops went to the area to join the attempt to disarm the community and the troops were warned by the Community Police group that they could extend the blockades to other points on the road in Tierra Caliente, to put pressure on the authorities, and voiced their demands once again that the Armed Forces install the Mixed Operations Bases in the five points mentioned above.

Hundreds of drivers and dealers of different organizations formed a vehicular caravan, also demanding that the state authorities work for the safety of the municipality, the road and to stop the theft of vehicles, the murder of drivers, as happened with their companions of Teloloapan.

By 6 pm, the transporters gathered behind the monument to the Patria Trigarante, where they formed their own caravan with the following demands painted on windshields and medallions of their vehicles : "Mr. Governor, we demand security filters in road"; "Stop the thefts of vehicles on roads"; "Security in support of our brothers in Teloloapan", among other slogans and demands.

The vehicular caravan advanced along Vicente Guerrero Avenue, then turned onto Juarez to join Aldama, until it reached the exit point.

The protesters asked the governor of the state, Hector Astudillo Flores, to intervene in the problems of insecurity that they live on a daily basis, in addition to the reinstatement of military checkpoints in different parts of the city to reduce the incidence of crime, because they do not want to see another attack as in Teloloapan.

The drivers and concessionaires made clear their solidarity and support to the Teloloapan transporters. They demand from the authorities, peace, security and the installation of roadblocks on the road and periphery of the city by State and Federal authorities.

Autobus companies suspended all runs from this city to the entire region of Tierra Caliente, due to the conflict that is in the municipality of Teloloapan, where self-defense groups have made roadblocks, users were informed that the buses would only reach Iguala .

The Navarrete family, consisting of two adults and three children, had bought their tickets in advance to travel to Ciudad Altamirano for the at 2pm Friday Gold Star Bus, however, upon arriving at the terminal they were informed that due to the situation of roadblocks, the bus could only reach Iguala, so they were offered the return of the money for their tickets or reschedule them for the next bus they can hopefully make sometime in the coming days.

The passengers decided to recover their money and make the trip in local collective systems and decided to travel by ferry, since they would take advantage of the long weekend to visit their relatives.

In the Gold Star Terminal the staff indicated that in the city there is not a person who has the power to make a statement to the media about the incident, that would have to be done by the Mexico City office. They confirmed that any exit in the Tierra Caliente region is suspended and it is not known when it will be restored.

"We have not canceled runs, but the buses only run to Iguala", stated the Gold Star Terminal staff. 

In the terminals of Costa Line and Estrella Blanca the situation was similar, at the ticket window passengers were informed that there were no tickets for sale to the Tierra Caliente region, they  asked if there is an alternative way to go to the State of Mexico and whether from there it was possible to take another route , but they were told that there is no service running.

"So how can I travel ?", asked a young lady at the ticket counter. The clerk mentioned that there is an alternative taxi service to Iguala and from there she could try to transfer, "or you can go walking, just take lots of precautions because it is very hot, " he joked.

Since Thursday, when members of the Telcoapan Tecampanera Police installed a highway blockade, with the requirement that official security filters be installed by the Army to stop acts committed by organized crime. In parallel to the highway blockade, activities have been suspended in all educational institutions, all shops were closed and all local transport service was suspended.

Update from Bajopalabra:

On Friday night, self-defense groups from the North region of Guerrero and residents of the municipality of Teloloapan freed the federal highway Iguala-Altamirano, after the Mexican Army   agreed to return the to the area. The spokesman of the Coordination Group Guerrero, Roberto Álvarez Heredia, confirmed that after eight hours of negotiation an agreement was reached. 

"Before 10 a.m. this Friday, do to the incommunication by land caused by the blockades of armed civilians, including the bus lines of passengers suspended the runs to cities of Tierra Caliente, Authorities of the 3 levels of Government established dialogue with armed civilians, but also State Police elements were mobilized in the event that an eviction had to be carried out, "said the spokesman. 

"After at least 8 hours of negotiation and dialogue between authorities of the three levels of government with armed civilians who call themselves the Tecampanera Police, they lifted the total blockade that they maintained on the federal highway Iguala-Ciudad Altamirano, at the height of Teloloapan, from 9:00 pm on Thursday. " 

The acts of violence in the area began 15 days ago, just when the Mexican Army withdrew from the municipality, and it is expected that with the security actions the Teloloapan community will resign its activities in the coming hours. 

The government bulletin: 

On instructions from Governor Hector Astudillo, government officials spoke with transporters and representatives of community police called "Tecampaneros", who lifted the blockade they had held since Thursday on the federal highway Ciudad Altamirano-Iguala, near Teloloapan, in where it was agreed that personnel of the Mexican Army will install a review post in order to avoid further incidents, an action that was recognized by the inhabitants who thanked the governor for his interest and concern with the inhabitants of the area. 

Early on Friday state officials and elements of the State Police moved in to the blockade to perform surveillance work in order to avoid incidents before the roadblock problem was resolved.  It was through dialogue and agreement that the blockade was lifted, for which the group of community activists accepted that elements of the Mexican Army will reinstall  positions of review in strategic points of this area which connects the North region with the Tierra Caliente region; thus normalizing the transport and movement of the inhabitants with greater security.

In other words: Grassroots Activism achieved its goal temporarily. Let's see how the 3 Levels of Gov't does at protecting its citizens.