Saturday, May 31, 2025

Guerrero farmers detain soldiers to protest against destroying poppies

Residents of a town in Guerrero detained 40 soldiers this week to demand that they halt operations to destroy opium poppies.

On Wednesday, residents of Campo Morado, a community in the municipality of Heliodoro Castillo, set up a roadblock to prevent the soldiers — presumably deployed to destroy poppy plants — from leaving the upper Sierra region.

Farmers called on the federal and state governments to provide assistance so that local farmers are not forced to cultivate poppies to survive.

The soldiers were allowed to leave the upper Sierra region yesterday.

State security spokesman Roberto Alvarez Heredia denied that the soldiers were actually detained, explaining that residents simply “took advantage of their presence to let them know their concerns.”

The Guerrero government said yesterday that officials from several departments and military personnel had met with representatives from several communities in Heliodoro Castillo.

Preliminary agreements were signed requiring the state to provide support to the communities, as well as machinery to to carry out roadwork.

Another meeting has been scheduled for April 25 in the state capital, Chilpancingo.

The farmers claim that the state government promised last November that drug crops would not be destroyed and that alternative means of support would be provided. Neither promise was kept, they say.

Prices for Mexican opium gum plummeted by as much as 80% last year due to the rise in demand for the synthetic opioid fentanyl among United States drug users, according to an independent study.

The price slump has devastated many communities in Guerrero, which have long depended on opium income.

Source: Milenio (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
News quiz

The MND News Quiz of the week: May 31st

0
Dodgy dams, foreign investment and police supercars: Test your knowledge of the last 7 days of news!
Heavy machinery sits in a river bed with a partly demolished dam, next to a large hacienda-style house

Water commission demolishes illegal dams built by Chihuahua ex-governor

0
The unpermitted dams blocked a Rio Grande tributary, redirecting the water to irrigate Duarte's cattle ranch and walnut orchard.
Angry Trump

US trade court blocks Trump’s ‘fentanyl trafficking’ tariffs against Mexico

8
Tariffs remain in place, for now, after the Trump administration quickly appealed the ruling.