Michoacán is a state located in central Mexico. This region of mountains and forests is inhabited by the P’urhépecha indigenous populations, whose language P’urhe is still spoken today and who are renowned for their fine work with the different types of wood found in the area. The P’urhépecha are concentrated in 22 municipalities across the breadth of the state.
Michoacán is also known for its natural beauty and the richness of its land and climate, making it a favourable place for the cultivation of different fruits exported internationally, including the avocado. Mexico is the largest producer worldwide of this precious product which has an annual economic impact of billions of dollars.
The P’urhépecha Plateau is home to around 70% of Mexico’s national avocado production. This has given rise to clashes in Michoacán between organized crime groups as they vie for control of the territory and avocado market. The situation has led, in turn, to the formation of community militias and self-defence groups who, fed up with the extortion and the abuses committed by the organized crime groups, have taken up arms to protect their lands. In some cases, however, these community militias and self-defence groups have also been involved in the violation of human rights.
Pressure to conform
During the colonial period, Michoacán’s indigenous population grew and expanded into a mix of traditions which assimilated the Roman Catholic religion. This continues to compose the religious majority in the state. Many of these communities are governed under the Law of Uses and Customs, which protects the right of indigenous people to preserve their culture and maintain traditional ways of governing. It is meant to be exercised in accordance with human rights guarantees in Mexico’s constitution and international treaties to which is it party, however, the government does little to ensure this.
Unfortunately, over the last few decades, cases of serious violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) have been reported in the state, especially in areas administered under the Law of Uses and Customs. During this time, there has been no effort by the government to intervene.
In 2002, in the community of La Zarzamora in Los Reyes Municipality, community leaders, with assistance from members of the community, burned down a wooden church built by the Protestant minority, arguing that no form of worship other than that of the religious majority was permitted in the community. The leaders went on to create ‘agreements’ that prohibited the entry of any pastor or religious leader to the community. These agreements were enforced years later, in 2011, 2014, and 2015, when the religious minority attempted to celebrate weddings which included their members and an invited pastor.
From that point on, community leaders closed access to the village. This situation created conflict in the community and in some cases the religious majority reacted with violence. In 2021, offensive words were painted on the doors of the religious minority’s place of worship, and in 2022 stones were thrown at the place now used for meetings. There was never any investigation into the burning of the Protestant church, or any of discrimination and the violent acts that arose after that, and those who carried out these acts have never been held to account.
In Nurio Municipality, around 46km west of La Zarzamora by car, the religious minority has suffered serious FoRB violations at the hands of community leaders in much the same way. In the most recent case in 2018, five people belonging to the religious minority were imprisoned after they refused to contribute financially to local Roman Catholic festivals. They were detained for various days until each family paid a fine in lieu of the required contribution to the festival.
Even now, no one in the community is exempt from paying this fee which is made twice a year and is around 2000 Mexican pesos (approximately £95) per family. The situation has become even more complicated and volatile in Nurio with the transformation of the municipal police into a heavily armed self-defence group. While the armed group’s purpose is ostensibly to protect the community from organised criminal groups, it has also become a militarized arm of community leaders to enforce decisions, including the mandatory financial contribution to Roman Catholic festivals.
According to the testimony of members of the Protestant church in Tangamandapio Municipality, around 50km north of Nurio, those who attend any meeting at the Protestant church can expect to be harassed, to experience discrimination and to be an object of ridicule in the community. Financial contributions to the Roman Catholic church’s festivals are mandatory for all inhabitants of Tangamandapio. Those who collect the required funds maintain a registry of members of the community compiled by the local government National Electoral Institute, as well as an additional a registry of those who have family members working abroad in order to require that they pay a higher amount. Since 2015, members of the majority religion in Tangamandapio prohibited a Protestant pastor from renting or buying any type of property because of the religious activities he was carrying out in the community. In 2019, he was threatened and extorted by an organized crime group.
Nowhere to turn
These are some of the stories repeated in the areas governed under the system of Uses and Customs, which does not uphold FoRB, despite this right being granted to all Mexicans under the Mexican Constitution, and state laws and regulations.
While these types of violations are all too common in many states with large indigenous population, the situation in Michoacán has been made especially complex by the billion-dollar avocado industry, the presence of organised crime groups vying for power and money, and the development of community self-defence militias. Members of religious minorities in these areas seemingly have nowhere to turn for protection.
CSW and Impulso18 call on government representatives responsible for these issues to use their positions to begin to shine light on these situations faced by hundreds of families in the state of Michoacán.
While Mexico as whole is characterised by high levels of impunity, FoRB is one area where those responsible for breaking the law are almost always easily identifiable and the government, if it chose to do so, could take steps to begin to establish rule of law. All that members of religious minorities in indigenous areas ask is that the government treat them in the same way that and with the same pride that it takes in all native peoples in the state of Michoacán and extends the same fundamental protections to them.
By Pablo Vargas, Mexico Director for CSW (Impulso 18 AC)
Featured image by Roger Ce on Unsplash.