The murder of priest Marcelo Pérez in the state of Chiapas (southeast) is an “absolutely unacceptable” crime and must be investigated in an “exhaustive” manner, demanded this Sunday the office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN). -DH).
The UN-DH “condemns the murder of priest Marcelo Pérez, perpetrated this morning in San Cristóbal de las Casas” and urged “the authorities to carry out a prompt, exhaustive and effective investigation,” it said in a statement.
Father Marcelo’s fight for indigenous peoples
The religious, known as Father Marcelo, had received threats and had precautionary protection measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), according to UN-DH.
Father Marcelo, a Tzotzil indigenous person and defender of the native peoples, was shot inside his vehicle after celebrating a mass in the Cuxtitali neighborhood, municipality of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in Chiapas. Various national and international organizations had publicly warned about the growing threats, attacks and acts of criminalization against them, which have intensified in recent years.
The priest led marches and pilgrimages for peace, denouncing the increase in violence in Chiapas since 2021. He spoke out on several occasions against organized crime and demanded justice for the murder of defender Simón Pedro. In addition, he accompanied displaced Tzotzil and Tzeltal communities and acted as a mediator in conflicts.
They ask for justice for the priest
The diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas demanded peace and justice from the authorities this Sunday after the shooting of the priest. Bishop Rodrigo Aguilar Martínez urged the Government to establish peace in the region, with the criteria of “authentic” truth and justice in the crime against Pérez. Likewise, Aguilar expressed that the diocese is willing to forgive the material and intellectual authors of the attack committed against the parish priest of the Guadalupe church.
At the end of the Sunday homily, just when the priest’s remains were delivered to his father and brother, the bishop urged the inhabitants and those passing through the state to “reconsider because true peace has to come in unity to the truth and the justice”. The bishop noted that, despite Father Marcelo’s constant complaints about his safety, his requests were not heard and, nevertheless, he continued to advocate for justice.
After Father Marcelo’s body was handed over to his relatives, hundreds of people received the coffin with white flags and walked behind it about two kilometers to the Guadalupe church, shouting “justice” throughout the journey. The priest’s body was transferred to the municipality of San Andrés Larráinzar to be buried in the land of his ancestors.
In brief statements to journalists, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum assured that her Government has already opened an investigation and that it is in contact with authorities of the Catholic Church.
Since 2017, the UN-DH has documented at least 134 murders of human rights defenders, of which seven have occurred in 2024.
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