In early May, a wave of violence erupted in the state of Guerrero, southwest Mexico, displacing hundreds of people. The territorial battle raged between the “Los Ardillos” and “Los Tlacos” cartels.
According to witnesses, multiple attacks involving bomb-dropping drones, shootings, and deliberately set fires woke rural communities in Xicotlán, Tula, and Alcozacán.
The widespread violence forced approximately 1,000 people to abandon their homes. Among them, around 400 are believed to be evangelical Christians.
The hardest hit community was Tula, where all residents fled leaving behind a ghost town. At least 23 homes were burned or destroyed, along with vehicles and community buildings. Other rural communities, such as Xicotlán and Alcozacán, were also severely affected.
The devastation has been overwhelming: homes reduced to ashes, crops destroyed, and livestock slaughtered, leaving families without any means of survival.
“The reality is far more brutal than what is being reported,” says Pastor Jairo*, an Open Doors contact and pastoral leader who supports several churches in the region.
According to Jairo, at least 170 believers are taking refuge in a nearby urban centre, while others remain crowded in local churches. People in Guerrero have endured years of threats from criminal groups, but this latest wave of widespread violence has been the most devastating by far, forcing entire communities to flee their homes, affecting evangelical Christians, and leaving churches empty.
Criminal Groups Block Access
Strong territorial control exercised by criminal groups and armed roadblocks have prevented access to several communities, severely hindering emergency relief efforts and gathering of reliable information about what is happening on the ground.
“The only way to collect information is through volunteers on the ground and local pastors. We are reconstructing events under extremely dangerous conditions, where every confirmed detail requires significant effort,” explained Victoria Vélez*, a member of the Open Doors team in the country.
For now, the local church is urgently calling for prayer for the displaced families and for an end to the violence devastating the region.
“In the midst of this crisis, what we need most is prayer support to help us endure,” Pastor Jairo says.
Please Pray:
- For the protection of displaced communities, that God will guard them from danger.
- For provision for displaced families, that food, water, shelter, and care will reach them.
- For peace in Guerrero and for the spiritual endurance of the Church in Mexico.
Stay updated with the latest prayer requests from the persecuted church.
