Chiapas Drug Cartel Wars: EZLN Exposes Infrastructure Project Feuds

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) has reported that drug cartels in Chiapas are not only fighting for control of narcotics trafficking routes but also over the collection of duties from two major infrastructure projects. The Mayan Train and the Interoceanic Corridor, initiated by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have become points of contention among various criminal factions.

The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, along with local groups known as El MAÍZ, El Machete, and the Chiapas Cartel, have been involved in violent confrontations. These conflicts have resulted in the displacement of hundreds of people, some of whom have sought refuge in Guatemala. The EZLN emphasizes that these disputes are about more than drug trafficking.

According to the EZLN, the mega-projects do not contribute to development but merely provide new markets for organized crime. The conflict between rival cartels extends beyond drug and human trafficking to include a struggle for control over duty collection from these projects.

The EZLN statement, titled "Adages", suggests that since "trees and animals cannot be charged fees", criminal groups will instead levy charges on communities and companies in the region. This situation, they warn, will lead to an increase in territorial wars, with the Mexican state notably absent.

The EZLN asserts that organized crime is a result of the Mexican state's inaction. Both the state and the cartels seek control over the territory, but for different reasons. The state aims for an open market, while the cartels want territorial control.

The EZLN refutes the idea of an alliance between the government and organized crime, likening the relationship to that of a company and its customers. The state offers an absence, which the cartels "buy" and replace with their own presence. The mutual gain is between the state and the cartels, while the communities suffer the losses.

The EZLN statement concludes with a critique of the Mexican state's approach to organized crime, suggesting that the state views these groups as subservient entities. This belief, they argue, leads to unexpected consequences. The EZLN questions why cartels are flourishing in a state that has been militarized for 30 years, suggesting that the Mexican territory is more fragmented than ever.