Uncertain Times

In 2014, the Mexican government recognized that autodefensas were not aligned with organized crime, and this recognition coincided with a rise in violence and autodefensas activity in Michoacán. The government also admitted that it had, at times, collaborated with and protected them. Locals did not necessarily support the autodefensas and protested them and their activities. The reputation of the autodefensas deteriorated both internationally and nationally, and many began to see them as part of the problem.