Indigenous communities in Mexico are confronting narcos and mining by building autonomy

By Marina Tricks

Guerrero means warrior in English. A fitting name for the state in Mexico that has historically been a refuge for rebels and revolutionaries. A state where violence, narcos, transnational companies, poverty, neglect and counterinsurgency programs have made fighting for life and autonomy the only option for many communities.

In the jagged mountain range where the second biggest production of heroin and poppy seeds in the world lies, where mining concessions have plagued the territory, where death and disappearance is a constant reality and where corruption and impunity are the norm, an Indigenous and afro-descendent organisation was born called the National Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ).

Power is a word that is often understood in the West as the violent use of authority and something to be scared of. In our heritage communities, it is entirely different. Power is collective. Seeing and feeling a community stand up despite having all the odds stacked against them, and build autonomy, showing que si se puede, that it is possible – is an embodiment of power. It is a feeling to be embraced and replicated.

Indigenous communities in Mexico are confronting narcos and mining by building autonomy

By Marina Tricks