Violence in Mexico Drives Displacement and Migration but Receives Less Attention

Political instability is a major driver of global migration, yet not all instances of violence are covered in the same way. In her latest article in the Washington Post, Mary Beth Sheridan writes about the violence in Mexico that is displacing many people, even though it receives comparably little attention in the US media overall.

"As criminal groups battle for control over Mexican territory, the displaced are becoming increasingly visible, in towns such as Coahuayana and at the U.S. border. An estimated 20,000 people have fled violence in the past year in Michoacán state, roughly the size of West Virginia. Thousands more have abandoned their homes in other states like Zacatecas and Guerrero.

What does Mexico’s war look like? In Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente region, one of the country’s most violent, homes are peppered with bullet holes. Drones launch bombs that gash holes in roofs. The Jalisco cartel has planted land mines. Security officials describe the conflict as a battle between Jalisco and a rival cartel network to control the region, a hub of marijuana and methamphetamine production."

Mary Beth Sheridan writes for the Washington Post here: The war next door: Conflict in Mexico is displacing thousands.

–Austin Kocher