Catholic priest assassinated in southern Mexico

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A Roman Catholic priest who was a leading voice for peace and reconciliation was assassinated after celebrating Mass in the conflict-torn Mexican state of Chiapas, authorities said, triggering a wave of condemnation across the country.

Two assailants on motorcycles shot Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, 41, who was found dead in San Cristóbal de las, according to Chiapas state prosecutors Inside a car in the city of Casas.

The priest has received numerous life threats while advocating for peace in Mexico’s poorest state.

Two of Mexico’s largest criminal groups – the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel – are at war with each other on smuggling routes in Chiapas, often paying off members of smaller criminal groups operating across the state, authorities said. Allegiance.

The ongoing conflict has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, including more than 500 villagers who fled Chiapas into Guatemala in July. Some villages and towns in Chiapas are virtually deserted.

“Chiapas is a ticking time bomb,” Father Marcelo told Mexico’s Alistegui newspaper in September, as he was among thousands participating in a peaceful pilgrimage in the state capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez. one of the people. “Many people have disappeared, been kidnapped, murdered because of the presence of organized crime. … In response to this wave of violence, we seek peace.

Human rights activists condemned the killing of the priest and called on officials to identify and arrest the killers and those who ordered the murder. Religious leaders and others are also demanding government action to stem the violence in Chiapas, where well-armed gangs far outnumber the police and soldiers tasked with enforcing the law.

“We reject any attempt to treat this incident as an isolated incident and urgently call on the authorities to restore order in Chiapas,” the Jesuits in Mexico said in a statement. “Organized crime has caused fear and violence throughout the country. Painful, Chiapas is no exception. The violence in the region reflects structural problems that require a comprehensive and urgent national response.

Father Marcelo is a native of Chiapas and, like much of the state’s population, is of indigenous Mayan ancestry and is a member of the Zozier culture. He has long been involved in struggles affecting the state’s indigenous poor. Church officials transferred Father Marcelo to the historic colonial city of San Cristóbal de las Casas in the heart of the indigenous highlands after he had previously been assigned to a rural parish where he had received death threats while serving. .

“For decades, Father Marcelo has been a symbol of resistance and support in Chiapas, defending the dignity and rights of his people and building true peace,” the Jesuits said.

Authorities have vowed to track down Father Marcelo’s killers, although officials did not immediately name any suspects.

“There will be no impunity,” said Mexico’s security chief, Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, in a statement posted on the X social media platform (formerly Twitter) declared in. “Our unity [is] with the Catholic community.

Curbing violence in Mexico is a major challenge for President Claudia Scheinbaum, who took office on October 1. downplayed violence in Chiapas, saying reports of rising crime in the southern state were exaggerated.

Written by Cecilia Sanchez Vidal, special correspondent to this report.

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