Gunmen in Mexico have shot dead a Catholic priest who was an outspoken advocate for indigenous rights and who had condemned the violence plaguing his community.
Father Marcelo Pérez was killed after celebrating Mass in the southern state of Chiapas on Sunday, the prosecutor’s office said.
The Jesuit priest had spent almost two decades fighting for the rights of the Tzotzil indigenous group, of which he was a member.
The Jesuit Order said his murder should not be “minimised” as an isolated case – insisting it was part of the wave of violence that organised crime groups have unleashed in Chiapas.
“Father Marcelo has been a symbol of resistance and support in Chiapas, defencing the dignity, the rights of the people, and the construction of an authentic peace,” the Jesuit Order said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said his murder was being investigated and would not go unpunished.
Mexico’s bishops’ conference described Father Marcelo as one of the “prophetic voices” that had fought for peace, and said justice in Chiapas had been silenced.
The priest was killed by two men on a motorcycle, who opened fire on his vehicle in the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
The incident happened early on Sunday as Father Marcelo was returning to his parish after saying Mass in the Cuxtitali neighbourhood of the city.
He had been transferred to San Cristóbal de Las Casas after receiving death threats in the rural parish where he had previously worked.
The priest had tried to negotiate an end to the violence caused by clashes between a criminal gang and a vigilante group.
Credit: bbc.com
