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Monday, September 18, 2023

UPDATED Ringing Church Bells - CJNG Use of Populist and Revolutionary Themes in Propaganda

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Image created with Dall-E ai.
Last week, CJNG gunmen attempted to instigate a community uprising against Los Viagras, a rival criminal group in the town of La Ruana, in Michoacán state. These armed men went to the local church to ring the bells, against the parish priest's wishes. This act has dual significance, and may offer insight into CJNG messaging strategy, which often uses revolutionary and populist themes.\

Authors note 9/24/23: The captured civilians have now been released after a federal judge ruled that there was not enough evidence they were carrying firearms, as Michoacan security forces initially reported. At their capture, the FGR reported they were being investigated for links to CJNG. 
Based on the information at the time, I concluded they were CJNG affiliates. This is probably not the case. For more information, read a timeline of events here.

On September 10, a group of La Ruana locals attempted to ring the parish bells and convene a town meeting to mobilize the community against the Los Viagras criminal group. Some of the men were identified by El Universal as La Ruana locals, but also members of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), not a community self defense force, or autodefensa, as they claimed. Days later, Michoacán state authorities arrested 26 armed men in La Ruana who they alleged were CJNG members posing as members of an autodefensa.

Use of church bells by auto defensa groups in Michoacán

The ringing of parish bells is a tactic used by autodefensas in Michoacán to quickly mobilize locals together to defend the town from a criminal threat. 

One such example occurred in 2011, when Purepecha townspeople of Cherán, Michoacán used the bells of the local parish to alert the community of the approach of a convoy of Knights Templar members, a criminal group who had been preying on the community. Hundreds of townspeople responded to the ringing, emerging from their homes armed with old hunting rifles and machetes to confront the Templar gunmen. The gangsters were captured and their vehicles were burned.

On some occasions, parish priests have even allowed armed groups purporting to defend the region to use their church bells. 

The church bells which sparked the Mexican revolution

Further, the significance of this act goes back hundreds of years in Mexico. The "Grito", Mexico's shout of independence in 1810, which signaled the start of the Mexican Revolution, was accompanied by Padre Hidalgo, a Catholic priest, ringing the bells of the church. 

El Grito de Dolores. Image from Pinterest.

CJNG use of populist themes

It is difficult to know if the CJNG gunmen had this connotation in mind when ringing the church bells, but the act fits with CJNG propaganda which often employs populist messaging themes, such as posing as a vigilante force protecting “el pueblo”, (the people) from other criminal groups, or denouncing corrupt officials who rob from the people. If this was intentional, by invoking this cultural motif, the CJNG compare their cause against Los Viagras as a revolutionary act, freeing the people from the yoke of an oppressive power.

The CJNG commonly appropriate vigilante rhetoric, attempting to paint themselves as a positive force in the region they operate in. CJNG narco communication videos often contain phrases assuring the general public that they will not interfere with civilians. For example, "The townspeople are not alone" (December 2019) or "our criminal enterprise doesn’t get involved in politics" (May 2021).

Sources: Catholic News Service 2014, Borderland Beat Archives 9/15/23, Insurgent Vigilantism and Drug War in Mexico 7/5/20, El Financiero 9/16/23, El Universal 9/10/23

Read more: Los Viagras Use Drone Bombs Against CJNG in La Ruana, Michoacán


48 comments:

  1. didn't like 26 cjng going as autodefensas get caught in a operation not long ago? in la Rauna

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    1. 12:09 so are cjng now allied with los blancos de troja or caballeros templarios? or viagras just getting clapped by 2 enemies?

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    2. @1:19 Hey, thanks for your comment.

      Here are my sources for the claim that they CJNG affiliates.

      https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/captan-en-video-ataque-de-dron-en-plaza-principal-de-la-ruana-michoacan/

      https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/estados/2023/09/16/violencia-en-michoacan-detienen-a-26-personas-de-autodefensas-en-la-ruana/

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    3. Lmfao @ huasos sources.

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    4. Those sources also claim TEPEQUEZ and VIAGRAS are not a CARTEL.

      What a fail.

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    5. Es mas facil repetir lo que dicen los medios que investigar la verdad. Claiming the 26 arrested are Jaliscos just fits neatly into that bastard Gobernador Bedollas narrative, ya no se puede levantar nadie contra los viagras porque automaticamente dicen que eres 4 letras. Funny they had days beforehand to arrest them, they didnt act til Gordo viagra payed off el Secretarío de Seguridad to get him off his back. You all are gonna argue about how they got the weapons if they ain't sponsored by another group its called there's been independent weapons traffickers in michoacan since decades ago. If you have ever really been around in Michoacan or are from there you would know como esta la Cosa, not to mention there's still weapons around from when the autodefensas rose against the Templarios.

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  2. Replies
    1. lmao no it aint it is a amazing tactic that has been used plenty of times best way to clear out a cartel without drawing attention. i mean literally how viagras took over Michoacan they started as auto denfensas then boom they are a cartel whole time.

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    2. Let’s see if those same sources are going to report that all charges where dropped against them and they where all released,it was just the play by the governor and viagras so they can kill the leaders of the short lived La Ruana AUTODEFENSA they where not a CJNG just a few who had the balls to stand up for themselves and ones again Mexico/Government shows us who we all know is a cesspool

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  3. And it worked at first, a week earlier the army destroyed several drug laboratories, seized a large arsenal of weapons and 4 millions peso in Buenavista belonging to Viagras due to pressure from this "self-defense group".

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  4. Its been 3 days since Ovidio got extradited 90% of the cheer squad are still crying, sone of them called in sick and didnt go to work today the other 10% are still making up silly excuses

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    1. Y’all are so fucking annoying. No clue why they post these bullshit comments. Instead of real conversations and dialogue, it’s Fan this, fan that, dickrider this, dickrider that. Go back to Reddit you 16 year old fuck.

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    2. 12:25 its been Three days since ovidio got extradited and 90% of the cheer squad are still crying, some of them called in sick and didnt go work today, 9% are still making up silly excuses and the other 1% are going nutts and attacking commentors in BB cause they dont know what else to do 🤣

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    3. and you missed work to come write on bb about how much it affected you! simp

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    4. 1;02 You fail to realize you are the cheer squad, you the first to comment about them everytime 🤣 Alexa play obsessed by Mariah Carey

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    5. There is no point in trying to have a civilized conversation with people that write in all capitals or emojis. Don't pay attention to the kid. He probably missed school just to troll here . So he is basically on the same boat as any cheerleader on here

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    6. 12:25 hee hawww
      I want some prohibited Moon shine.

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    7. 308 that's caps lock nino. His tia posted that he is like rainman and really very smart. He has straight As so he gets out of school early. All the ivy leagues want him.

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    8. Its been 4 days since Raton got extradited, 70% of the cheer squad are still crying them selfs to sleep, 10% can fall to sleep with only a couple tears in their eyes hughing the picture of el raton and still making up silly excuse,15% are attacking commentors here in BB with bulgar language, and the other 5% have given up and understand Raton is fucked and will do what Sinaloas are know for in court, and there is the non cheer squad like me who is gonna have a really good night sleep with a smile in my face 😂😂😂

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  5. Didn’t CJNG do this as well when the military was going after El M2 ? CJNG started ringing a bunch of church bells to let citizens know that a military convoy was heading their way and the people needed to block them or slow down their advancement. Obviously, it didn’t work since the military still managed to get to “El M2” and kill him.

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    1. Supposedly his whole crew got killed for failing to protect him

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    2. good now shut it we dont care lacra is dead and gone, no need a cuento or folk tale

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  6. Jajajaja lame as fuck. 🤬✏️
    "Échele viejito, échele viejito. Ya los militares se van a retirar del pueblo. La Ruana por pendejos, por quererse rebelar, van a pagar el doblé de cuota.
    Puro Viagra". +/- that's the audio circulating now that the AutoDefensas have been arrested by the government after being paid by Los Viagras.

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    1. No news source is gonna publish that though. Gobernador Bedolla makes sure no one bothers his favorites. Ese wey esta bien ensartado con los viagras, y ahuevo cualquiera que esten en contra de ellos es jalisco.

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  7. Never ceases to amaze

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  8. Some readers disagree that these armed men actually were CJNG. My sources are listed. Feel free to offer a better source. So far, I don't see any.

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    1. The news "sources" nomas estan repitiendo lo que dicen los demas. No better sources than the actual townspeople. There was no news or reporters even present when they were arrested. They're only reporting what fiscalia is telling them to say. Here's the facts they have nothing absolutely nothing linking them to CJNG. Only circumstantial at best evidence is that some dude ex-autodefensa el Chuchin was with them who wasnt 4 letras he just got help from Maguey at one point, when he had a shootout with viagras. Coincidentally Chuchin and a few others got arrested too but dont showup in the records, rather curious that they found their dead bodies a couple hours later, what does that mean, obviously los entregaron los de la fiscalia. Also think about it, No vehicles and no tactical equipment with 4 letras markings at all. No drugs and no drug baggies with markings either we all know all the cartels got users. And that whole autodefensas strategy that's a carteles unidos move, tepeke does it, pueblos unidos did it, los Reyes did it, all several times in the past years. Think about it when's the last time CJnG tried that move? Not since the autodefensas days and that wasn't even them directly. That's not their MO. Think about it, when Maguey, Delta, or 08/ Lacos people make a move in Michoacan to try and take a plaza its always been an armed attack. The lack of advancement of 4 letras in Michoacan has been because the governor clearly has his favorites, los viagras and they always send the army to help them. Lo que paso es que se confiaron, they shouldn't have trusted lupe mora and they shouldnt have let it be known they had weapons.this was just all a big ruse so people think the governor was actually doing something against los viagras covering his ass then oh all of a sudden their jaliscos que conveniente para los viagras no.

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    2. 9:01 whoever has the government on their side is always going to have the upper hand . CJNG just getting a taste of their own medicine of what the GTO helped them do to the marros

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    3. 7:04 wrong. CSRDL started getting hit because their business was huachicol which is the national governments income. "I'm going to pay you 100 billion dollars a year in bribes but you gotta let me steal from you. You understand right?" No MF. The politicos want your money, not money that belongs to them.
      Only reason they could put up a fight throughout the state was because of that huachicol income. 😭 Los señores del norte"😭: El Marro in his crying video.

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    4. 2:12 you know who is the main illegal huachicol mover know in GTO ? The Jaliscos. So why don't they go after them ? Because the have the GTO state government in their pocket . That's why only the GTO state government goes after the marros. The thing is CSRDL is still putting up a fight. Can't believe RT and his 'elites" can't even take out a small gang with government help

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    5. 2:12 if the GTO government hadn't picked the Jalisco side . Marro would of gave them a run for their money . Guess the CJNG deep pockets help them out there . Before the government got involved marros was whopping that ass

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    6. 2:45/2:46 CSRDL had the state government on their side until they(CSRDL) got decimated by the actions of CJNG, who were killing plazas bosses and group leaders, AMLO with "Golpe de Timon" and thus the state government stopped helping Marros. No money, no honey. How was a fuel thieving organization going to pay off corrupt authorities now? They couldn't so state government protection was rescinded.
      It was simply a matter of size and economy. How much control of the state did CSRDL have? Enough that they chose to go to war with CJNG. How much territory did they lose in that war? Enough that they no longer dominate in Guanajuato even with the help of other criminal groups. It's easier to defend territory on defense than to conquer through offense. Remember that.

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    7. 3:51 the CJNG 3 main sources of income in gto are fuel theft local drug dealings and extortions. Marros ain't any better but they still around . CJNG biggest mistake was not finishing the marros . In some small towns CJNG is getting pushed back . Sinaloa and Matamoros hitmen are around now . All the mayor cities are still CJNG for the most part but they are not as strong as 2 3 years ago .I been to GTO recently and trust me it's a shit hole nothing but teenagers with guns all drugged out extorting and killing. San Miguel de Allende is beautiful .

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    8. Heres the source huaso, looks like Lupe is feeling remorse now.
      https://www.elsoldemorelia.com.mx/local/defiende-lupe-mora-a-detenidos-de-la-ruana-asegura-no-son-integrantes-del-crimen-organizado-10716242.html

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    9. 5:01 unfortunately that's how it is when criminal organizations go to war. Stupid block head Marro thought he could go straight up against CJNG. His calculations were all wrong. Now the state is a mess from what you write.
      8:02 Well ain't that something. LMFAO. Lupe Mora going to Morelia to plead for those "bad fake AutoDefensas". Ya para que. Ahora se van a chingar los pobladores de La Ruana con más cuotas.
      You probably know who el Padre José Segura is, but this cura also got it all wrong by claiming the AutoDefensas were being directly supported/equip/bankrolled by CJNG. After the government forces neutralized them and it became apparent Los Viagras were the paymasters and beneficiaries he lamented the unfortunateness of the situation for those arrested, murdered, subjugated anew and the twofold increase of the cuotas. The Old Testament, an eye for an eye, was needed in that situation but el Padre Segura was too blind, he overthought himself.

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  9. Ivan is going to the north too soon, don't play around con el mayo

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    1. No no 3:59 dont play with fentanyl old man mayo had nothing to do with that.

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    2. Aquí se trata de Michoacán.

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  10. Tepeques& viagras templas have government on their side

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  11. It's viagras doing that. But they are all scum anyways.

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  12. AutoDefensas of La Ruana have been freed for lack of qualified evidence by the government.

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  13. MORELIA-
    JUEZ ORDENA LA LIBERACIÓN DE LOS AUTODEFENSAS DE LA RUANA TRAS DETERMINAR QUE SU DETENCIÓN FUE ILEGAL💢Los 20 hombres y seis mujeres una vez a fuera de los juzgados, se reunieron con sus familiares para posteriormente regresar a sus respectivos domicilios

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  14. What's up BB. You going to do an update regarding these citizens who tried to liberate their town of Los Viagras?

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  15. These new era of cartel behaviors reminds me of cult MAGA followers under trump - brainwashed

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