Forced Displacement: Crime, Poverty and Conflicts Trigger Exodus in Mexico Katia Torres - El Universal
go to original July 6, 2015

Mexico's ongoing drug war is notorious for its tens of thousands of murders and disappearances. But there are many other victims we hear little about, those who are forced from their homes as they flee the violence. (France 24)

The violence of organized crime, extreme poverty and political and religious conflicts, among other factors, have led to an exodus of Mexicans. Most of them have gone to the United States, while others have fled their communities and moved to other states in Mexico.

According to figures released by the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH) at least 281,418 Mexicans are victims of forced internal displacement, including 9,000 cases last year.

The organization says that 89,859 correspond to cases of mass displacement, i.e., when 10 or more families flee their communities simultaneously out of fear due to a direct and immediate threat or because they have been victims of human rights violations.

Chihuahua, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Sonora and Veracruz have been worst-affected. However, Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca also have a considerable number of displaced people due to conflicts between indigenous communities or of religious or political nature.

Read the rest at El Universal

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