Jerez, Zacatecas: Criminal Violence Leaves A Ghost Town In Its Wake

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The singing of a group of swallows fluttering over the power lines was the only sound that was heard at noon on Tuesday in Ermita de Los Correa, once a cheerful town, but above all of hardworking people, that was forcibly turned into a ghost town.

In this site nestled in the Sierra de Cardos, surrounded by majestic landscapes and an intense blue sky adorned with clouds like cotton, today only desolation reigns, after the invasion of armed subjects who, for a year, have governed the place.

On the road that leads to the community, one of the largest and most populated in Jerez, the journey looks alone.

Upon entering the village, all the houses, from the most beautiful, newly rebuilt, others of typical finish and the oldest adobe, all, equally, are empty today.

In those days of terror, which increased in intensity a week ago, more than 95 percent of the families who abandoned them even had the time counted to flee.

Many did it with just what they were wearing. Others, they managed to pick up in 15 minutes.

And there were those who, with less luck, resigned themselves to being sheltered in their homes "hidden like rats", when what they wanted was to flee, because they simply had nothing to mobilize in or didn’t get to leave.

Desolation reigns in La Ermita, divided into three ranches, Ermita de los Murillo, Rancho de Abajo and de Arriba, according to the inhabitants; the land is rich and productive, with a whopping 100 percent vocation. 

Religious devotees that they are, the inhabitants of La Ermita have religious figures at the entrance of access; on the right one is for San Judas Tadeo, the one on the left for the Virgin of Guadalupe and one more, in front, for the Santo Niño de Atocha, although in June they venerate San Juan; however, it seems that none of the saints could handle the task of taking care of them.        

        

Violence and exodus

A week after one of the worst attacks that triggered the decision of the inhabitants to leave their homes, this Tuesday residents sheltered by elements of the Mexican Army, already installed in the Casa Ejidal since Monday, and escorted in a caravan by members of the State Preventive Police (PEP), spoke of the fear that paralyzes, the terror that does not let them live.

They recalled that in the early morning of Tuesday, August 31, they heard the gusts, for fear they remained inert. On the old adobe wall of a small store where the bullets fell, about 25 large holes were counted.

That same day, several, although little by little, decided to look for relatives.

On Thursday, the criminals, flaunting power and violence, at Rancho de Arriba intercepted a couple on their way to take care of their animals and forced them out of the vehicle that they then burned. On the concrete floor follows the black footprint of the accident.

But up ahead, towards the exit to the farmland, they gave themselves the luxury, "no more because of yes", of burning three more pieces; in addition, they took a kidnapped young man, expressed with pain and helplessness who discreetly picked up what they consider is essential to survive outside their homes: a washing machine, a mattress, clothes for the children or leave food for their animals.

After the threats intensified and the presence of the subjects, who don’t stop roaming the streets with weapons up to double cartridges, the first mass exit took place on Friday, September 3.

Some counted about 60 vehicles with dozens of people fleeing the horror.

After that, "they went down and fired many shots and those who couldn’t leave on time, witnessed the worst and no longer found how to get out, except well terrified"; they left everything behind to protect their lives, although that day was not even half of the people.

On Saturday, after a scuffle in Sarabia, another large group of inhabitants left; the exodus continued on Sunday until less than 5 percent of people are reluctant to leave their homes, but who for safety have to live in hiding most of the time, "like rats," they said.

Many, when they left in a hurry, left their goats, sheep, cows, horses and donkeys in total neglect; some claimed that hunger has already claimed lives from the herds, while others chose to release them to allow their subsistence with grazing and some dogs, not having food, have fed on other domestic animals.

The proverbs are supported by the presence of birds of prey roaming the sky below, waiting for the prey, like a small breed dog that was killed on one of the roads.

Everything that happened has meant losses. A man who had about 600 sheep found many dead, others with traces of having been devoured by the coyotes and others, who surely fled to the countryside.

And everything is losses, as planting was this year. Of 4,000 hectares, they should hardly have sown a third that will not give them anything but useless work and lost money, because having no one to take care of the flowering, it must have already dried up; "it is a very demanding job, to care for the plants all the time."

The problem is that the criminals imposed working hours on them: Only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. could they stay on the farmland.

Later "we don't want to see anyone outside their homes," they warned them. Likewise, they tried to place a gate to cover the cultivated lands. "If you want to live, leave like this," they were told, since with it they had the freedom to enter any house at the time they determined.

They couldn't even see them on the street, "we don't want to see you around here, you sons of fucking bitches," but they did it while pointing at their heads with weapons.

Sowing and shops

By this date, the planting that peasants make every year of oats and corn that they use as fodder for their animals has already been lost, just as they already give up the harvest of the little beans they were able to sow.

Everything is loss, because people who dedicate themselves to commerce, having to close their stores, resigned themselves to spoiling food that requires refrigeration; others, who have the possibility, took what they could to take them to their families who live in the municipal capital of Jerez and, if it is enough, give them to those who need them.

Displaced people are requiring all kinds of help; however, and, as they express, "we are farmers, we are good people," and not only speak it, but those who dedicated themselves to trade, who pretend, is over - want to give the best use to their goods.

For now, even the elements of the detachment installed in the Casa Ejidal received packages of purified water and other drinks, among other canned foods, not only out of gratitude for their work of protecting their counter, but because they are thus used to being supportive and today they know that they need each other more than ever.

THIS IS WHAT HE SAID:

The impotence of the inhabitants was expressed in the face of the indolence of the authorities."If you can avoid it then by all means let no one come here, just give us weapons for the communities; here there are plenty of those who defend their lives and that of their families, not like my foolish compadre López Obrador who says that with hugs this will be resolved, he needs to personally come here so that he can give them," said a man making hug gestures.

The same message is for anyone who says what they are suffering is not true; "we lent them the bed to fall asleep here for a week," they shouted with contained anger and impotence that the authorities have, “the shit has escaped their underpants and 'or they can't even find what the fuck to do; now they can't find how to contain this problem.

At such a degree of danger they lived, they said, that one day a dog was walking in the street when some of these gunmen passed by; the dog barked at them "and in front of all of us they shot him dead."

They’re not the only ones in this position, other ranches preceded them in getting out of danger: Guadalupe Victoria, Plan de Carrillo, Monte de los García, Sarabia, Palmas Altas, Juana González, El Sauz, El Colorado, La Noria, El Refugio, Santa Rosa, Colonia Miguel Hidalgo, Cieneguitas de Fernández, El Bajío Together, they said, there are about 2,000 displaced people.

Most have moved to Jerez, as it is the closest place, but there are those who determined to go to Fresnillo or Calera de Víctor Rosales; there are those who decided to go further, to Ciudad Juárez.

"We are not bad people"

A couple went to Ermita for clothes at least for their little ones, "we, even if we reuse the clothes," said the man, who could not contain the crying that forced him to pause long to continue a bitter story.

His wife also spoke of the pain caused by leaving their chickens and even their dogs behind and how they looked for a house on loan with three other families while waiting to return home soon. Her husband said they know that 40 people live in one house in Jerez and in another more than 30, they have accommodated themselves as they could and thanks to the support even of countrymen living in the United States.

"We didn’t plant this year, nothing will be harvested for fear of losing our lives. We are not bad citizens here, our parents are dead and buried here and we want to follow their legacy"; however, today they live at the mercy of criminals, who came out of nowhere to desolate, insult, steal. "They have taken away trucks, tractors; people no longer sleep well."

Here, there are only good people, we are farmers, innocent people and so we lack this now (because it has been kidnapped).

"Beautiful Village"

Wanting to be heard and to reflect the reality they are living, some men detailed what life was like before their nightmare.

"It was such a beautiful town," too bad crime is no longer letting us live. Before, from a very early hour about 700 tractors would leave for the farmland, the tractors traveled all day including motorcycles, all concentrated in their work.

The patron saint's day, celebrated every June in honor of St. John the Baptist, has counted up to 5,000 people, including absent children based in the United States. This was the Hermitage, "if we go well, then we even make a sheep birria," they still expressed with the hope that this can change in a short time.

"Place everything you have in you, what you feel to help us; you help us with," they exclaimed while even asking for clemency.

Clemency, yes, before the authorities so that they permanently leave them the Army, “we don’t need them stay in the area just for a few months," so "this way we’re  sheltered, and we’re not cold," because the biggest fear is that, when they return to their homes and the uniformed men leave, "if the gunmen return, they have already fucked us for a lifetime."

They added: "For lack of food we may not die, but of fear, yes."

Escort caravans leave: mayor

JEREZ DE GARCÍA SALINAS. At the request of the community, caravans of displaced people began to leave for Ermita de Los Correa on Tuesday, with the aim of collecting cattle and bringing them to the municipal capital, as well as other belongings for personal use.

The municipal president, Antonio Aceves Sánchez, reported that at the request of those who left their livestock abandoned, primarily, attention will be given to people who require it who, to guarantee their safety and free them from fear, will be escorted by units of the State Preventive Police (PEP), mainly, which was verified by NTR Medios.

He reported that in the meantime they are looking for spaces in the city to protect the amount of livestock, until they decide what to do, while the conditions of tranquility offered on Monday afternoon by the security authorities involved in the case are returned to them.

"We are generating conditions for them to decide what to do, so that they can reach (their community)" and therefore they will leave in the meantime to bring their livestock; in addition, they will be given the conditions to protect them or even sell them, as they determine.

However, owners of these cattle face another situation: "no one is interested in buying livestock and, if they buy it, they want it as a gift, because they’re taking advantage of the situation," they said.

Likewise, the mayor announced that on Monday a detachment of the Mexican Army was installed in the facilities of the community offices, to guarantee the conditions that the inhabitants demand to return to their homes, which was also verified by this means.

For his part, the secretary of the city council, Liborio Carrillo Castro, reported that there is a dialogue with the Road Safety authorities so that, through them, they can talk to the concessionaires of the city transportation units that provided the transport service, in order to restore the route.

On another issue, the secretary reported that the corporations in joint work have been "combing" the mountain area since Friday and, in those patrols and tours, they achieved the release of three people who were kidnapped; the above was confirmed by the inhabitants themselves.

Deputies call for an investigation

Federal deputies Amalia García Medina and Jorge Álvarez Máynez, from the Citizen Movement bench, issued a point of agreement to urge the Zacatecas government to investigate and clarify the alleged facts related to the displacement of the families of Ermita de los Correa, in Jerez.

Likewise, the point of agreement is addressed to the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador to guarantee the safety of these families.

NTR Zacatecas