VICE: Inside the Autonomous Mexican Community That Ejected Drug Cartels Andalucía Knoll - VICE
go to original April 29, 2014

As you approach the small town of Cherán in Michoacán, Mexico, armed men at a roadside barricade greet you and inquire about your destination and the purpose of your visit. In a country that has become increasingly militarized due to its war on drugs, these searches have become common — but what distinguishes this barricade is that the armed men are not government representatives. They are members of the Cherán community guard, and on their arms they brandish a purple, yellow, green, and sky-blue flag representing the indigenous Purépecha culture, and the autonomous government to which they report.

Three years ago residents of Cherán rose up in arms, tired of the narco-violence that had plagued their community for several years, and sick of the illegal logging that was taking place in their sacred forest, the Pakua Karakua. They erected roadside barricades at all the main through streets to prevent the passage of cargo trucks hauling away their virgin trees.

Close to 200 campfires — which is the traditional Purépechan setting for discussing community problems — sprouted up throughout the town and served as meeting points for neighbors to begin dialogue about security issues. Soon after, the unarmed community members, who refused to recognize the authority of the local government — represented by the historically powerful and corrupt Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) — went en masse to the local police headquarters and relieved them of their weapons, confiscating the officer’s firearms for their own use and protection. The 20 local police officers left town soon after, and haven’t returned.

Read the rest at VICE

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!