Priest killed in Mexico as he leaves mass; Church calls for justice

The diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the state of Chiapas , southeastern Mexico , demanded this Sunday that the authorities provide peace and justice following the shooting of the priest and defender of human rights and indigenous peoples, Marcelo Pérez Pérez.

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, known as Father Marcelo .

Aguilar also said that the diocese is willing to forgive the perpetrators and masterminds of the attack committed this morning against the parish priest of the Guadalupe church .

At the end of the Sunday homily , just as the priest’s remains were being handed over to his father and brother, the bishop urged the inhabitants and those passing through the state to “reconsider themselves because true peace must go hand in hand with truth and justice.”

He denounced insecurity

The bishop noted that despite Father Marcelo ‘s constant complaints about his safety and that of citizens, his requests were not heard, and despite this, he continued to advocate for justice.

After Father Marcelo ‘s body was handed over to his family, hundreds of people greeted the coffin with white flags and walked behind it for about two kilometers to the Guadalupe church, shouting “justice” all the way.

Father Marcelo, a Tzotzil indigenous man and defender of indigenous peoples , was shot inside his vehicle after officiating a mass in the Cuxtitali neighborhood, in the municipality of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

In response to this crime, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-DH) in Mexico condemned the events and joined in calling on the authorities to carry out “a prompt, exhaustive and effective investigation.”

It had protective measures

Since 2015, Father Marcelo had been under precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ( IACHR ) , due to the constant risk to his life and personal integrity due to his work in defense of human rights.

Various national and international organizations had publicly warned about the growing threats, attacks and acts of criminalization against her , which have intensified in recent years due to her work in favor of justice and the rights of indigenous peoples, the organization said.

Father Marcelo led marches and pilgrimages for peace, denouncing the increase in violence in Chiapas since 2021.

He spoke out against organized crime on several occasions and demanded justice for the murder of defender Simón Pedro.

He also accompanied displaced Tzotzil and Tzeltal communities and acted as a mediator in conflicts.

Since 2017, the UN-DH has documented at least 134 murders of human rights defenders, seven of which have occurred in 2024.