Michoacán: a fight to the death

While over a month old, this 45 minute documentary on the self-defense groups in Michoacán is an essential backgrounder on the present situation.

As you can see in the first few minutes, it was not just the economic damage done by the Templars, but the destruction of community life over several years (basically since 2000… and I’m not sure what the cause, or causes were that happened that allowed this to occur) people began to fight back.

Or… perhaps this is why the Army was called in.

Since this was first aired, the Templars were driven out of Apatzingán, and were making what appeared to be a last stand in Nueva Italía… when the Army either… according to who you believe… came to the gangster’s rescue, or to the rescue of the beleaguered locals, who had traded off one organized gang for a passel of irregular militias.  As Dr. Mireles predicted, the state government has been declared non-functional, but this does not bode well for the citizens themselves, as they seem to be under martial law with the government… their supposed rescuers… apparently trying to work out a truce with the Templars.

The sub-titling is not the best, but for those who have trouble following spoken Spanish, it’s still a better introduction than you’ll find in the regular foreign media accounts: