Bacalar’s Paradise Lost to Violence

Bacalar, Quintana Roo — What was once a promising tourist destination, known for the majestic lagoon of seven colors, is now facing a spiral of violence affecting the entire community, thanks to the administration of Municipal President José Alfredo Contreras Méndez. Like Tulum, Bacalar suffers from the presence of high-impact criminal groups operating with total impunity, according to residents of the municipality.

Mothers from the community of Melchor Ocampo assert that their teenage children are being kidnapped and forced to join organized crime, with authorities failing to intervene. The insecurity has caused many families to abandon their homes, leaving properties empty due to constant fear.

Such is the situation for Zuilma Canché, the mother of a young kidnapping victim, who described the situation as an unofficial "curfew," where after eight o'clock at night no one can leave their houses. She indicated that it is not only teenage boys who are kidnapped; young women and girls aged 14 to 16 are also targets of the criminals.

"Shortly after they are taken, we see them again in uniform and armed," stated Canché, recounting how her middle school-aged children talk about classmates disappearing, only to be part of the criminal groups weeks later. The mother has sought support from the Prosecutor's Office but claims that when they go to towns like Melchor Ocampo, no one dares to make a statement for fear of reprisals. "How are they going to speak if the criminals are armed and trained, and the inhabitants have neither weapons nor training?" she questions.

Roberto Dzul, a resident of the rural area, narrated that his son was kidnapped right before his eyes by a group of criminals who forced him into a truck. Fortunately, other youths managed to escape by hiding in the undergrowth while being chased by men in a white vehicle.

Extreme violence has also manifested in shootouts and executions, such as the one that occurred this past June, when residents heard gunshots for hours. Days later, a heavy-duty truck was seen transporting bodies hanging in the cargo bed, apparently victims of the shootout.

Neighbors explain that they have witnessed the transition from one criminal group to another, with a high cost in human lives, and that the current dispute appears to center on the clandestine airstrips located throughout the region.