Pro-Government Militias
PRI-ista Paramilitary Groups (Mexico)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 384 |
| Country: | Mexico |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1995 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The group was founded by PRI loyalists when the PRI’s control appeared to be slipping to the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas. One source says they became active after the murder of a PRI peasant leader. |
| Date dissolved: | July 2, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | On 2 July 2000 the PRI government's rule came to an end. The PRI governor of Chiapas was also ousted, with the new governor promising to go after the paramilitaries. In October 2000, members of the Peace and Justice group were arrested. Activity seems to have largely ceased with the change of government. In 2002 and 2005 the Zapatistas argued that government backed paramilitaries were still operating in Chiapas. Information is insufficient to determine if these are the same groups as the PRI-ista paramilitaries. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (institution); sub-national government |
| If link to party, name of party: | Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; security forces; unemployed; adolescents; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | political |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Chiapas |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group; religious group; journalists |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Indigenous peoples (Mexico) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Indigenous peoples (Mexico) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The PRI-ista paramilitary groups have names such as The Justice and Peace Group/Peace and Justice/Development, Peace and Justice, Chinchulines (lice), Red Mask, the People’s Armed Forces, the Throat Slitters and Degolladores (the Beheaders). They were modeled after the White Guards. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The PRI-ista’s main purpose was to fight Zapatista insurgents and ensure continued PRI rule and control over the territory by intimidating potential supporters. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The PRI-ista paramilitary groups acted violently against civilians. They committed killings of civilians, including women and children and systematically harassed civilians and burned their homes. There are also reports of rape and kidnap, intimidation and extortion, murder and mayhem. Some harassing and killing were committed in coordination with police and while the army turned a blind eye. State and federal governments were unable or unwilling to curb them, and the groups were thus able to act in impunity. There are allegations that authorities actively acquiesce to the abuses. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing; sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Most members are poor, young indigenous men who are jobless and landless and have no political agenda or social ideology. They are offered clothing, the chance to drive a car and the power of a gun, as well as a monthly wage of 1,400 pesos ($175). There are also speculations that members are large landowner, PRI-affiliates small landowners and conservative religious groups that oppose both the social activism of the Catholic Church and the Indian protestants. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The PRI-ista paramilitary groups are composed of more than 30 armed civilian groups. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Army and police personnel have been involved in providing training for the paramilitaries. The PRI-ista paramilitary groups are armed with AK-47s, high-powered rifles, handguns and machetes. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The PRI-ista paramilitary groups were linked to the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). They received money from high-levels of government. One PRI-ista subgroup, Peace and Justice, was closely affiliated with PRI congressman Samuel Sanchez. Before the July 6, 1998 elections, the state government channeled 4.6 million pesos ($515,000) to the PRI-ista groups. The groups are headed by autonomous local political bosses who are affiliated with the PRI and feared losing political control. There are links between the PRI-ista groups and the police, army, local PRI officials or landowners. Some members have come directly from the ranks of the state ruling party and police. The Mexican government denied being involved with the group. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.