Caballeros Templarios Allegedly Killed Over 20 Linda Vista Inhabitants In Guerrero

Authorities in the state of Guerrero in Mexico are investigating the massacre of more than 20 Linda Vista inhabitants, including men, women, elderly and children among the dead.

By H. Nelson Goodson

February 22, 2014

Linda Vista, Guerrero, Mexico - On Friday, an estimated 50 armed men invaded a rural town of Linda Vista in the municipality of San Miguel Totolapan in the state of Guerrero, according to Leopoldo Soberanis Hernández, President of the Guerrero Alliance of Human Rights. Hernández received a call from a resident of Linda Vista notifying him that armed men had arrived at the town between 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. and had massacre inhabitants that included men, women, elderly and children.

The death toll could rise to 27, but state authorities haven't confirmed how many fatalities were discovered. One rural road connects the town to other towns in the municipality. 

The town is about 12 hours from Acapulco. Linda Vista has a population of 1,203, with 636 men and 567 women.

Township residents say, that they alerted state authorities about 15 days ago of prior threats to the town by a drug cartel and on Sunday, the inhabitants had planned a general assembly to discuss the formation of a self-defense community security force. Hernández says, that authorities never responded or sent troops to the area and left the township defenseless against attacks by a criminal organization.

The armed commando apparently were identified as members of the Caballeros Templarios (CT),  according to inhabitants.

The CT had warned and threaten to kill inhabitants,  if they intended to form a self-defense group. Mexican authorities have not confirmed,  if the CT was involved in the massacre.