“Help us endure”: hundreds displaced by gang violence in Mexico

Entire communities have been driven from their homes by an outburst of gang violence on Wednesday 6 May in Montaña Baja region, central Mexico. Among them, hundreds of Christians have lost homes and livelihoods – please pray for those affected.

Between 800 and 1,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to a fiery outburst of violence between the ‘Los Ardillos’ and ‘Los Tlacos’ cartels. According to witnesses, the armed groups unleashed drones armed with bombs, gunfire and set buildings ablaze. At least 23 homes were destroyed, along with vehicles and communal buildings.

Among those who escaped are 400 Christians, and some communities like Tula were left a ghost town in the wake of the conflict. The gangs laid waste to livelihoods, including crops and livestock, leaving families with nothing to return to.

“The reality is far more brutal than what is being reported,” says Pastor Jairo*, a pastoral leader who supports several churches in the area. He shares that at least 170 believers are sheltering in a nearby community centre, whilst many others have sought refuge in churches.

Though churches have endured threats and violence from cartels for a long time, the events of 6 May mark the most devastating reported conflict so far. Mexico is number 30 on the World Watch List, and many Christians live in constant danger of threats, abduction and violence from widespread criminal groups.

• Why are Christians persecuted in Mexico?

Cut off and in need

The criminal groups maintain a tight fist on entries and exits to affected communities, greatly hindering access for emergency relief and those reporting on the condition of civilians.

Open Doors partners have only recently managed to confirm the first few Christians displaced in the region, and that number continues to grow as more cases surface.

“The only way to gather information is through volunteers on the ground and local pastors,” explains Victoria Vélez*, an Open Doors partner in the country. “We are piecing together events under extremely dangerous conditions, where every confirmed detail requires significant effort.”

Your prayers are urgently needed for our brothers and sisters in Mexico at this time, as well as all those whose lives have been upturned by these devastating events.

“In the middle of this crisis,” says Pastor Jairo, “what we need most is prayer support to help us endure.”

*Names changed for security reasons