The struggle for forest preservation in Michoacán claimed a new victim this Sunday night with the execution of Roberto Chávez, a member of the Environmental Defense Committee in the locality of El Zangarro. The activist was intercepted and executed after sharing a family dinner—an incident that has sparked deep outrage among the communal landholders in the Villa Madero region.
According to accounts from close associates, the defender had just left an eatery in the community of Etúcuaro when he was ambushed by armed individuals barely one hundred meters away. The attackers fired directly at him, striking the victim in the head three times; he died instantly.
Guillermo Saucedo—also a land defender and resin producer—strongly condemned the crime, noting that just three days earlier, they had warned authorities about the escalating threats and risks facing committee members. (Politics Mexico)
“Unfortunately, we are living through a very critical period where the government either sits idly by or is in collusion with the very criminals we are fighting. I believe we will have no choice but to take up arms; it is the only path left to us,” declared Saucedo, while reproaching the state for its failure to provide protection.
The Villa Madero region faces constant pressure from groups of hitmen dedicated to the illicit exploitation of natural resources. As recently as March 10, residents publicly denounced the surge in clandestine logging and the contamination of local aquifers. According to reports, trucks laden with illegally harvested timber travel with impunity under the cover of night along routes connecting the localities of Tumbisca, El Palmar, and La Escalera, bound for the municipality of Hidalgo.
This homicide is not an isolated incident. On November 6, 2025, another land defender, Javier Gómez, was the target of an armed attack at his home following a series of death threats. On that occasion, shots fired at his home forced the activist and his family to flee the region to ensure their safety, thereby highlighting the climate of vulnerability prevailing among those who oppose illegal logging.
To date, no authority has issued an official statement regarding the arrest of those responsible for the murder of Roberto Chávez, while the Environmental Defense Committees remain in permanent assembly to determine their next steps in light of the lack of security guarantees. Public Security
