Summary
A group of villagers in Guajes de Ayala, Mexico, have formed a self-defense group to protect themselves from a powerful drug cartel. Armed with weapons from the U.S., they fight back against the cartels in the absence of government security forces.
Key Facts
- The self-defense group, called "autodefensa," includes about 50 people armed with weapons like AK-47s and grenades.
- These vigilantes emerged because local police and military could not protect them from drug cartels.
- The group formed in 2020 to resist the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel, which tried to take over their land.
- The cartel had started illegal activities, such as logging, and forced locals to fight rival gangs.
- Conflicts have caused many residents to flee, reducing the community from 1,600 people to 400.
- Self-defense groups in Mexico started rising around 2013 in regions like Michoacan and Guerrero.
- Guerrero state has a complex landscape with multiple warring cartels and armed groups.
- The Mexican President and the U.S. administration are involved in trying to manage the situation, which includes cartel violence and illegal activities.
