Photographer Jair Cabrera is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘Ghost towns in Guerrero because of drug trafficking’. To see Jair’s body of work, click on any image.

The violence generated by organized crime in several municipalities in the State of Guerrero, in southern Mexico, has caused the massive displacement of families, who, when threatened, have chosen to leave their homes. More than 1000 people have been forced to move due to insecurity in the area.

In 10 communities in the municipality of Teloloapan, in the northern part of the state, the violence has left villages completely empty.

In Tlanipatlán de las Limas, more than 400 inhabitants fled, leaving only 26. At Vicente Guerrero Elementary, two teachers serve 8 students of different ages, out of the previous 50.

The inhabitants expressed their fear of the incursion of organized crime, one of the residents reported that last December armed men arrived in Tlanipatlán and kidnapped a woman and a young man, of whom they never heard from again, from then on the people began to leave town for fear of the same fate.

The vigilante’s corner, became a ghost town, no one lives here, the 30 houses of the community are completely empty, after a series of kidnappings and murders, the population left everything to save their lives. Little is known about the displaced, since it has not been possible to locate their whereabouts. In some homes there was a trace of a surprise and violent flight, where it is perceived that they did not have time to take something.

The parish is in the same way abandoned, even the saints were taken away, the school with the dusty seats, a globe on the dusty floor, broken glass and the forgotten basketball court is how fear is perceived when walking through the town.

All images and text, 2015 © Jair Cabrera