Guatemala grants refuge to families escaping cartel violence in southern Mexico

Guatemala has agreed to shelter 161 Mexicans fleeing violence in the southern state of Chiapas, where cartel clashes have displaced hundreds in recent years.

The Guatemalan Immigration Institute said on Wednesday it granted temporary humanitarian status to 92 adults and 69 children from the municipality of Frontera Comalapa, near the border. The refugees, made up of 39 families, are staying in rented homes or with relatives in La Mesilla.

Cartel violence in Chiapas has intensified as groups battle for control of territory along trafficking routes. Mexico’s most powerful organizations, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, have turned the state into a frontline of their conflict.

Human rights groups have warned of rising risks, pointing to a 358% increase in forced disappearances in Chiapas between 2019 and 2023. Authorities reported around 600 cartel-related murders in the state last year alone.

This is not the first exodus. Nearly 600 Mexicans crossed into Guatemala in 2023 to escape cartel violence, remaining for several months before returning.

The latest displacement highlights how cartel wars in southern Mexico are reshaping the border region, forcing families into flight and testing Guatemala’s capacity to provide humanitarian shelter.

Copied