Due to extortion and threats, they closed a primary school in Uruapan, Michoacán.

The growing wave of insecurity in Michoacán has once again reached the classrooms. This time at the “Lázaro Cárdenas del Río” Elementary School, located in the San Juan Evangelista neighborhood, in Uruapan.  The school was closed  by decision of parents, in the face of threats  and alleged extortion attempts directed at the teaching staff of the school.

The State Department of Education (SEE) filed a criminal complaint with the State Prosecutor's Office to thoroughly investigate what happened.

Parents  and teachers  have pointed out that criminal groups have attempted to impose extortion fees on the teachers, and even used a student as an intermediary to deliver written threats.

In response, the SEE  announced the establishment of a working group with state and municipal authorities. In addition to coordinating with the Public Security Secretariat (SSP)  and the Government Secretariat (Segob) to protect the integrity of students and teachers.

However,  the parents decided to close the school as an act of protest and demand for security.

Uruapan: a city where studying has become dangerous

Uruapan  has become the second most violent municipality in Michoacán, only behind Morelia. In recent months, at least seven educational institutions have been targeted by criminal acts such as robberies, extortions, kidnappings, and murders.

In the La Mora neighborhood, a teacher from CETis 27 was shot dead; months later, another teacher was executed in his truck. At the Instituto Morelos, a student was kidnapped  after being stripped of his vehicle in the Barrio de La Magdalena.

Fear has replaced the tranquility that once reigned in school environments. Parents are loudly demanding the most basic thing: that their children can go to school without risking their lives.

When studying becomes an act of bravery

The violence in Michoacán's schools not only represents a failure of the security authorities but also a crisis of the rule of law. Meanwhile, the federal government  boasts a narrative of "hugs, not bullets", the truth is that entire communities are abandoned in the face of organized crime.

In this scenario, the right to education is undermined by fear, and hope fades. Because in Mexico  governed by Morena, violence  knocks on the doors of classrooms, even going to school can be a death sentence.