"Mayan Ruins Unreachable Due to Gang Violence and Land Conflicts in Mexico"

Mexico's government acknowledges that some well-known Mayan ruin sites are unreachable due to cartel violence and land disputes in Chiapas, with drug gang checkpoints making access to certain sites dangerous. The explosion of drug cartel violence in Chiapas has left ruin sites like Yaxchilán and Bonampak cut off, while land disputes have closed off access to the imposing pyramids at Tonina. Despite government claims that the sites are safe, many tour guides no longer take groups there, leading to canceled trips and economic impact on local communities. The situation is exacerbated by the influx of migrants and the recruitment of local residents by warring drug cartels, posing a threat to Indigenous groups and the tourism-dependent economy in the region.