Mexico’s security crisis has reached a shocking new level in the state of Morelos. Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, who also serves as president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference, publicly denounced that organized crime groups are now extorting poor families merely for remaining inside their own homes.
The alarming statement was delivered during the XII Walk for Peace held in Cuernavaca, where thousands of citizens dressed in white marched to demand security and an end to the violence devastating the region.
During the event, Castro revealed that criminal organizations in the community of Huautla, located in the municipality of Tlaquiltenango, have imposed illegal “protection payments” on residents who already struggle to survive in one of the poorest areas of Morelos.
“The criminal organizations have reached a level of cruelty beyond comprehension. They charge extortion fees simply for living there, for having a house. They no longer charge only businesses — they charge people for existing,” Castro declared before parishioners and members of the press.
“LES COBRAN POR VIVIR EN SUS CASAS”: OBISPO DENUNCIA EXTENSIÓN DEL “DERECHO DE PISO” EN MORELOS Y EXILIO DE PÁRROCO
Durante la XII Caminata por la Paz en Cuernavaca, celebrada este sábado 16 de mayo de 2026, el obispo Ramón Castro Castro, presidente de la Conferencia del… pic.twitter.com/SIWt4LreWX
— apartadomex (@ApartadoMex) May 17, 2026
The bishop’s remarks reinforce longstanding accusations from residents who claim organized crime has expanded throughout Morelos while authorities fail to regain control.
Castro further disclosed that threats have become so severe that the parish priest of San Francisco de Asís Church in Huautla was forced to flee the community after receiving direct death threats from cartel-linked groups.
Castro also warned that violence in Morelos can no longer be minimized or hidden behind official rhetoric. He stressed that the state continues to suffer from high levels of insecurity, homicide, extortion, and political violence.
Several national outlets reported that during the peace march the bishop insisted that “lying about reality is also a form of violence,” referring to what many residents view as government attempts to downplay the deteriorating security situation.
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