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The level of cartel violence in Chiapas is very low and has been low for several years. The Los Zetas cartel organization is in firm control of the territory in northern areas of Chiapas, while the Sinaloa Federation controls a small area in the southern areas of the state. Because the two cartels have been able to divide the territory without harming either operation, there is currently no dispute over the use of the territory. Also, the Mexican military has not entered the area. These two factors have led to a low level of cartel violence in the state. Despite the low level of cartel-related violence in Chiapas, the Zetas are very active in other criminal enterprises in the state, most notably including human trafficking. Typically, the Zetas are transporting individuals from Central America north into Mexico across the border with Guatemala and into Chiapas state. Additionally, the Zetas use the northern and eastern Chiapas area to move drugs from Central America through the state into northern Mexico. Typically, the group uses more rural routes to move its drug loads, making areas “off the beaten path” extremely dangerous throughout the state, due to the danger of unearthing covert Zetas operations. The Zetas are also heavily involved in the street-level distribution of drugs inside the state of Chiapas, which can sometimes lead to violence as the group needs to enforce non-payment for drugs or other offenses against the cartel. However, these offenses frequently go unreported due to law enforcement corruption and collusion with the Zetas. STRATFOR has not uncovered any derogatory information regarding either the Universidad de la Tierra in San Cristobal, or the Mexico Solidarity Network. A review of Mexico Solidarity Network literature indicates that the group is generally anti-capitalism and anti-globalization. It is difficult to pin down exact views and beliefs of the group as it represents at least 80 other organizations with their own views and creeds. The organization is largely focused on the political and human rights of indigenous peoples, especially in Chiapas, though it has also made statements in support of labor unions and other similar leftist organizations. There are also some anti-corporate statements in their literature, though we did not see any indication that the group has made a specific stand related to Dell or other technology companies. The Mexico Solidarity Network program appears to have many connections with the Zapatistas in Chiapas. Similar to the Mexico Solidarity Network, the Zapatistas seek the recognition of indigenous peoples in Chiapas state and organize activities around that goal. While the Zapatistas have been known for their violent activities in the past, the group has not engaged in armed conflict in the last several years. Despite this fact, there is still some potential for violence and other problems associated with the group. As part of their activities, the group engages in large-scale protest activities within the state, which often disrupt normal activities, including tourist ventures. While the Zapatistas are typically supportive of the tourist industry in San Cristobal, the group’s confrontations with law enforcement authorities sometimes involve tourists. For example, in February 2011, a group of 17 tourists was kidnapped by the Zapatistas near the Agua Azul waterfall area in Chiapas, a popular tourist attraction. The kidnappers had been involved in a violent confrontation with police that left at least one farmer dead at the time the kidnapping occurred. The 17 tourists were held for a day and then released after negotiations with the police. While it is not entirely clear what happened to the victims after their kidnap, it is likely that someone discovered to be a high-net worth individual would experience significant problems in a situation of this sort. Kidnapping has long been a serious criminal problem in Chiapas. Reliable statistics about the problem do not exist. However, some incidents are reported, including a February 2010 abduction of a young Mexican woman who was held in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez. Police learned the location where the woman was being held and engaged the kidnappers, leaving two police officers and four criminals dead in the crossfire. The woman was eventually freed without harm. It is also important to remember that even though the Zapatistas are not waging an outright conflict with the Mexican government at most times, more localized leaders in Chiapas are still very wary of any outside government involvement and enforce their own system of law and order in various cities and towns through the state, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to predict what how the security environment could evolve. This is especially important to remember when traveling outside of the major tourist areas in San Cristobal. By the same token, rival political leaders among the indigenous peoples frequently clash, sometimes leading to physical violence. During election season in June 2010, at least two people were killed and 50 others arrested when members of one political party opened fire on a political rally being held by a rival party in the town of Zinacantan. Several homes were later burned down in retaliation for the murders. Later in July 2010, a local party official in the Chiapas town of Tenejapa was found murdered the day after the elections as he ended his shift counting ballots at a polling station. Rivalries among Zapatista leaders, sometimes leading to murder, have also occurred historically in Chiapas. This was most evident in the 2004 murder of Zapatista leader Eduardo Vaizquez Alvaro in the Chiapas city of Zona Norte. Vaizquez was shot at least five times by several unidentified gunmen who then attacked him using a machete. The murder occurred during daylight hours in the city center. Though the situation in Chiapas is fairly stable, nearby areas that are also controlled by the Zetas are experiencing significant levels of violence. The southern state of Veracruz has recently become a serious fighting ground as the Zetas have come under attack by the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) that dumped more than 35 dead bodies out of a truck during rush hour in September 2011. Many of the bodies were stripped nude, while some were dismembered and others showed signs of torture. In the following days, several additional body dumps occurred, leaving numerous members of the Zetas organization dead and dismembered in the following weeks. ................
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