Violence Surges at Mexico-Guatemala Border, Businesses Demand Action

Southern Mexico — Business leaders and civil organizations in southern Mexico have demanded that federal and state authorities reinforce security along the border with Guatemala amid escalating violence linked to clashes between organized crime groups crossing territorial boundaries, such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Chiapas and Guatemala Cartel (CCyG).

The call was led by César García Jiménez, president of the Pro-center organization of merchants and businesspeople from downtown Tapachula, who urged the Mexican Army, the National Guard (GN), and state authorities in Chiapas to “fortify” the region with a greater deployment of security forces.

“Our southern border is very porous; it is very easy to cross, and that also allows the bad guys to come and infiltrate here in Chiapas,” García Jiménez stated in remarks collected by news agencies.

Violence Between Cartels and Its Economic Effects in Chiapas-Guatemala

The southern border—historically a critical zone due to migratory, commercial, and drug trafficking transit—has recently recorded clashes between organized crime groups that have left one civilian dead and one Guatemalan soldier injured in neighboring territory.

García Jiménez warned that the climate of violence has caused a drop of up to 30% in the arrival of Guatemalan visitors, a direct blow to local businesses. This is especially significant in December, when an economic recovery was expected after difficult months for the productive sector.

Canacintra States That Mexico’s Southern Border “Is Neglected” in Terms of Security

For his part, Abel Méndez Ruiz, president of the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (Canacintra), stated that the southern border “is neglected” and lacks the operational authority to guarantee citizen security.

“Greater control, more operations, and coordination between corporations are needed so that Tapachula can regain the order it had before,” Méndez emphasized.

In a broader call, representatives of social organizations such as Alfredo de la Cruz Cordero, from the New Generation Social Linkage Association, demanded a “cleanup” from the Soconusco region to the border line with Guatemala, an area they describe as highly productive but vulnerable to criminal dynamics.

Impact on Community and Commerce: What Organized Crime in Chiapas Also Strikes

The impact of insecurity is felt directly in key sectors of the border economy. In addition to the reduction in tourism and cross-border trade, the perception of risk has affected the commercial activity of merchants and micro-entrepreneurs in Tapachula and nearby municipalities, who anticipated a rebound in sales during the Christmas season.

Civil organizations have indicated that, without a coordinated response that includes greater military and federal presence in the border area, economic activity could deteriorate further, affecting entire families that depend on commercial exchange and the flow of visitors between both countries.

Formal Call to Authorities and Federal Government to Provide Security

Business leaders and civil society organizations have agreed that verbal calls are not enough: they demand joint working tables with security, economic, and social authorities to design concrete strategies that protect the population and strengthen surveillance on the southern border.

The proposal seeks, in addition to curbing violence, to restore citizen confidence in the state’s ability to guarantee security, as well as mitigate the negative effects that cartel clashes have had on the economic development of the border region.