The violence that is experienced in almost the entire country has a very vulnerable point: young people, who are recruited by criminal groups by using various means to recruit them, as in Guanajuato.
In the case of this entity, young Catholics who participate in pastoral groups have reported that they are harassed and threatened to be enlisted by criminal organizations, which is why they have had to alter their schedules of activities in the churches.
In the state, compulsory enlistment is not typified in the Penal Code of the state, which has promoted an initiative to classify this crime.
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In interview with 24 HOURSthe local PAN deputy, Rolando Alcántar Rojapointed out that this proposal seeks, mainly, to have a “preventive effect for this type of behavior (…) is in process in the Justice and Justice Commission Congress of the state and we hope to be able to give good results soon.”
He stated that this change to the laws seeks to punish “the fact of involving minors or corrupting them and to punish the adult who does so.”
He recalled that there have been “attacks on young people, mainly in communities or in neighborhoods of municipalities that are either around activities in temples or around festivals and festivities (…) there has been coincidence in at least four events.”
Why are they looking for them in Guanajuato?
Alcántar Rojas explained that Guanajuato is a state where 23 percent of the population is under 18 years old and what has been detected is that Organized crime intends to involve “adolescents in drug dealing, given their quality of being unimpeachable.”
The legislator explained that, until now, there are approximately 370 casesin Guanajuato, in which minors under 18 years of age are involved in criminal activities; that is, they are still in the range of children and adolescents.
Last October, the bishop of Irapuato, Enrique Díaz Díazdenounced that young Catholics face forced recruitment, the loss of friends and the impossibility of holding Church meetings or activities in the afternoons and evenings, as they were used to, due to the risk that this entails.
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He pointed out that these threats have directly impacted parish life and participation within pastoral groups.
He indicated that the municipalities where this situation has been detected most are Jaral del Progreso, Cortazar, Santiago Valley y Penjamoalthough the problem also extends to neighboring municipalities.