HomeNewsBriefMexico Army Moves Into Michoacan Despite Protests
BRIEF

Mexico Army Moves Into Michoacan Despite Protests

MEXICO / 14 APR 2016 BY QUENTON KING EN

Mexican security forces installed a new base to combat armed groups in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán, after days of protests from the community that highlight citizens' fears that the presence of federal police may increase insecurity and human rights violations.

Citizens of several municipalities in Michoacán have been protesting the intervention of federal security forces since Monday, April 11, when authorities moved into the region in order to create a military base. Protests broke out after the security forces arrested 12 people accused of gun law violation. Some of the detainees were allegedly associated with Los Viagras, a criminal organization operating in the area led by the Sierra Santana brothers, Excelsior reported.

Residents claimed that law enforcement violated human rights while carrying out the arrests. Protesters blocked several roadways in the region with torched vehicles. Over a three-day period, at least 31 people were arrested and 33 vehicles, two gas stations and two supermarkets set ablaze, El Universal reported.

After negotiations, locals agreed to clear the roads on April 14. 

InSight Crime Analysis

For years, Michoacan has been an area where both criminal and vigilante groups, or "autodefensas," have been able to flourish. Several criminal groups, such as La Familia Michoacana and the Knights Templar, have splintered under pressure from the security forces, creating new factions battling for control of the criminal economy.

SEE ALSO:  Mexico News and Profiles

The Viagras are accused of involvement in criminal activities, even though they have their origins in Michoacán's legal self-defense forces. They have also been linked to the H3, an affiliation of criminal groups including the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (Cartel de Jalisco - Nueva Generación - CJNG).

Despite the documented ties between Michoacán's self-defense groups -- and the insecurity the region faces as a result of the plethora of armed groups -- these recent protests indicate that local communities still have a high distrust in government institutions. Arguably, rebuilding this credibility is the major challenge facing the government in Michoacán. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

FEATURED / 15 MAR 2022

The $215,520 began its journey south in the parking lot of a Meijer grocery store in Louisville, Kentucky, a 19-hour…

BRAZIL / 15 DEC 2021

A recent study of credit card cloning around the world revealed some startling disparities in the risks customers face across…

COLOMBIA / 26 OCT 2021

Two top police commanders in Colombia and Mexico have recently admitted to filtering sensitive information to drug traffickers while working…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…