During the peace talks sparked by the forced displacement of entire towns in Chilapa, nine mayors from the Montaña region backed Mercedes Carballo Chino, mayor of the municipality. However, the politician faces allegations of family ties to Celso Ortega, leader of the criminal group known as “Los Ardillos”.
On May 24, Micaela Manzano Martínez, mayor of José Joaquín de Herrera; Khalia Areli Ramos Decena, mayor of Zitlala; Ángel Aguilar Romero, mayor of Acatepec; Alberto Michi Campos, mayor of Tixtla; David Astudillo Morales, mayor of Quechultenango; Pedro Ojeda Reyes, mayor of Ahuacuotzingo; Gerardo Mosso López, mayor of Mochitlán; Jesús Vázquez García, mayor of Mártir de Cuilapan; and Guillermo Matías Barrón, mayor of Atlixtac, withdrew from the State Peacebuilding Coordination Board.
The mayors claimed the forum had become an “institutional simulation” marked by a lack of results and by state and federal authorities’ failure to respond to the violence crisis affecting the region.
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Since May 6, residents and organizations such as the Indigenous and Popular Council of Guerrero–Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ) have publicly denounced the use of drones loaded with explosives and high-caliber weapons against civilians in communities across Chilapa.
It is estimated that between 800 and more than 1,300 people have been displaced from neighboring communities such as Tula, Xicotlán, and Acahuetlán, seeking refuge in Alcozacán, particularly in its church and sports court.
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Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch stated on Tuesday, May 12, that the criminal groups “Los Ardillos” and “Los Tlacos” have been identified as the main groups responsible for the displacement of people in the Chilapa area of Guerrero.
Family ties between “Los Ardillos” and the mayor of Chilapa
Against this backdrop, the figure of Chilapa Mayor Mercedes Carballo Chino has drawn attention because she is the sister-in-law of Celso Ortega, leader of “Los Ardillos,” who is married to one of the mayor’s sisters.
Carballo Chino is a teacher by profession and holds a degree in Preschool Education for Indigenous Communities from the National Pedagogical University (UPN) in Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero. Within the Chilapa city government, she has served as deputy director and adviser for Indigenous Affairs.
In addition, Irving Ortega Carballo, the private secretary of the Chilapa city government, is the mayor’s nephew and the son of the leader of “Los Ardillos”.
“Los Ardillos” is considered one of the main criminal groups operating in at least 13 municipalities in Guerrero’s Central and Lower Mountain regions, including Chilpancingo, Quechultenango, Tixtla, Zitlala, and Ahuacuotzingo.
The criminal organization operates under a clearly defined family structure. Celso Ortega leads operations alongside his brother Antonio Ortega Jiménez, while Jorge Iván Ortega Sánchez is identified as one of the individuals responsible for the group’s financial operations.
One of the names repeatedly mentioned is Bernardo Ortega Jiménez, former president of the Guerrero state Congress, who has denied any links to criminal activity, although the areas where he exercised political influence overlap with territories where the group maintains a strong presence.
The organization has been linked to crimes including extortion, protection rackets, homicides, kidnappings, disappearances, and drug trafficking.
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