Indigenous Mexican priest kills Sunday mass in violence-hit Chiapas

A Mexican Catholic priest was killed Sunday in the southern state of Chiapas after celebrating a mass, his religious order and authorities said, marking the latest death in a recent wave of violence in the region .

Marcelo Perez – who was Tzotzil, a Mayan indigenous group native to the area – was leaving the Cuxtitali neighborhood of San Cristobal de las Casas, one of the largest towns in the state, and returning to his nearby home church when He was killed, the Jesuits in Mexico said in a statement.

Two people on a motorcycle approached his car, a white Ford, and shot him, according to state prosecutors.

Mexico has seen a series of killings in recent weeks, including the beheading of the mayor of the state capital of Guerrero and an intra-cartel war in Sinaloa that left hundreds dead or missing, sparking protests calls to new president Claudia Sheinbaum. take rapid action to eradicate crime.

Sheinbaum rolled out a four-pronged approach earlier this month that will also focus on addressing the economic and social causes of crime and improving coordination among crime-fighting institutions.

“Father Marcelo was a symbol of resistance and stood alongside the communities of Chiapas for decades, defending the dignity and rights of the people and working for true peace,” the Jesuits said.

His death comes as violence has intensified in Chiapas in recent years. From January to August, the state recorded around 500 murders, compared to 309 for the same period last year, according to official data.

Perez’s community said he actively spoke out against organized crime in the area.

“Several national and international organizations have publicly warned of the increasing number of threats, attacks and acts of criminalization against (Pérez), which have intensified in recent years due to his tireless work in favor of justice and rights of indigenous peoples,” the statement said. » said the UN human rights office in Mexico.

“This region not only suffers from murders, but also from forced recruitment (into criminal groups), kidnappings, threats and pillaging of its natural resources,” the Jesuits said.

Criminal groups have also expanded into smuggling migrants across the border state of Guatemala.

Earlier this month, soldiers fired on a convoy they said they mistook for members of a criminal group. The truck was carrying a group of migrants and six were killed.