Citrus Growers Union Temporarily Closes Offices in Apatzingán, Michoacán after Threats

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A citrus growers union has announced they are closing their offices in Apatzingán, Michoacán for a week after receiving numerous threats from armed groups. Despite reports, security forces have been unable to stop extortion of citrus farmers in the region.

Bernardo Bravo, the director of Asociación de Citricultores del Valle de Apatzingán (ACVA), a citrus growers association, announced the closure and threats on his Facebook account. He noted that while the government is making arrests of low level extortionists, they have failed to capture the leaders of the criminal groups involved, and the problem "remains exactly the same".

Carlos Torres Piña, the secretary of government maintains that the government is working to improve security, and that lime production in the region has continued normally. 

The extorsion of the agricultural sector in Michoacán, especially avocados and limes, has been a persistent issue for many years. Farmers and agricultural employees face threats, theft, violence, and sometimes death at the hands of criminal groups. Despite intermittent government crackdowns, the criminal groups have operated relatively uninterrupted for years.

A government document outlining the security priorities of President Sheinbaum lists 11 major criminal leaders behind the extortion in the region. 

In 2024, the United States temporarily halted the inspection of avocados and mangoes from Michoacán two after U.S. Agriculture Department inspectors were assaulted and kidnapped by a criminal group.

Sources: Bernardo Bravo Facebook, Proceso, ⁠AP News, InfoBae, InfoBae