By: Vania Pigeonutt | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
Five members of the Citizen Security and Justice System (SSyJC) of the Union of Peoples and Organizations of the State of Guerrero (UPOEG) were killed, three more were wounded and one was reported as missing after a shootout “clash” with members of the United Front for the Security and Development of the State of Guerrero (FUSDEG) in the community of Tlayolapa, Juan R Escudero.
The Attorney General of Guerrero, Xavier Olea Peláez, confirmed that “there was a confrontation between two community police groups. My staff (belonging to the public prosecutor’s office) are already carrying out the proceedings at the location (Tlayolapa, 40 minutes away from the municipal seat of Juan R. Escudero).”
Although Olea stated that he had no confirmation about the casualties, Bruno Plácido Valerio, leader of the UPOEG, said via telephone that without giving details about the events, he confirmed that five police members of his organization died and one is missing.
In addition, there are three wounded that are receiving care in the basic hospital of Xalpatláhuac, located on the Costa Chica region of Guerrero, 30 minutes from Juan R. Escudero, where the UPOEG maintains their base of operations and where there is presence of FUSDEG in some parts of the communities.
Members of the public ministry, federal and state police, and members of the state ministerial police (PME) arrived at the scene.
Bruno Plácido did not say whether these events are related to the accusation from members of the FUSDEG that members of the UPOEG violently attempted to enter their communities, Villa Guerrero and San Juan del Reparo in Juan R. Escudero (Tierra Colorada) and El Ocotito, Chilpancingo.
Salvador Alanís, commander of the FUSDEG, explained that “members of the UPOEG want to disarm our police and enter in order to operate in El Ocotito and other communities. Deivid Barrientos (commander of the UPOEG) wants to terrorize residents.”
Xavier Olea pointed out that in his particular point of view, “the community members are violating Law 701,” which recognizes indigenous peoples and gives them the ability to choose their own security system, as long as they operate in their communities and the weapons that they use do not belong to those that are for the exclusive use of the Mexican Army.
Source: El Universal
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