Indigenous priest and peace leader assassinated in Chiapas

Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, a Catholic priest from Chiapas known for his social activism and work with indigenous communities, was shot and killed Sunday morning after leading mass in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Less than six weeks earlier, Pérez led a peace march with other priests to demand an end to drug trafficking and its ties to politicians, forced disappearances and the displacement of residents.

The march took place in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas, and was just one example of Pérez’s long-standing activism. For years, he mediated conflicts involving indigenous communities and was known for his outspoken stance against organized crime.

In recent years, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, along with other subgroups, have fought for control of territories in Chiapas near the Guatemalan border ripe for drug trafficking and smuggling.

State authorities have opened an investigation into Pérez’s killing, but no suspects have been named. Chair Sheinbaum said during her Monday morning press conference that federal authorities were involved and that the case could be taken over by the federal attorney general’s office as the investigation progresses.

Pérez, who had previously reported receiving death threats, was reportedly unsafe when he left mass Sunday in his van. He reportedly left a church in the Cuxtitali neighborhood of San Cristóbal to lead mass at a church in another neighborhood of the city, Guadalupe.

Driving alone, he was approached by two armed men on motorcycles who opened fire and hit him several times, killing him instantly, local media reported with confirmation from Mgr. Rodrigo Aguilar Martínez, bishop of the diocese of San Cristobal.

Pérez was a member of the indigenous Tzotzil people. He was 50 years old, according to the diocese.

His death highlighted the instability in one of Mexico’s most violent regions.

“The cowardly assassination of Father Marcelo Pérez will not go unpunished,” declared the governor of Chiapas, Rutilio Escandón. said on social media, echoing calls for justice from civil society and religious leaders.

“We reject any attempt to minimize this act by considering it an isolated case. » the Jesuit Order of Mexico said in a statement. “Organized crime has caused fear and pain in various parts of the country, and Chiapas is no exception. The violence in this region reflects a structural problem that requires a comprehensive and urgent response from the state. We urgently call on the authorities to respond firmly and restore order and the rule of law.

At the September 13 peace pilgrimage in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Pérez highlighted the escalation of cartel violence that has led to the evacuation of many villages in Chiapas’ cities, leaving some of them virtually empty.

In July for example, more than 500 villagers fearing for their lives fled to Guatemala from the city of San José de los Pozos. A similar mass exodus involving 5,000 people occurred the previous month.

“Chiapas is a ticking time bomb,” he told online media outlet Aristegui Noticias last month.

Pérez also struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, issues that disproportionately affect the region’s indigenous communities.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had granted Pérez preventive security measures following the death threats he had received, but he would be alone on Sunday.

Mexican priests are often targeted due to their involvement in mediating conflicts between criminal groups and local communities. Pérez had already declared that there was a price on his head.

Days before his assassination, Pérez gave an interview about endemic violence in many rural areas of Chiapas. “There are a lot of deaths, a lot of displaced people. There are uprisings; there are people taking refuge in the hills. It’s worrying. Young people are recruited by organized crime and they are in danger,” he was quoted as saying.

“The truth is not in a palace; it’s not behind a desk. The truth is in Pantelhó, the truth is in Chicomuselo. The federal government should go (to these rural communities), but we know that if they don’t do it with the National Guard, their lives are in danger.”

With the reports of El País, El Sol de Mexico, The North, Los Angeles Times And Associated Press