Hundreds of people mourn the death of Catholic priest and indigenous peace activist in southern Mexico

SAN ANDRES LARRAINZAR, Mexico (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered Monday to mourn Catholic priest Marcelo Pérez, an activist for indigenous peoples and farm workers who was killed in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

It was a murder that many consider a tragedy foretold, in a state where drug cartels have forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

Mourners gathered in San Andres Larrainzar, near the town of San Cristobal de las Casas, where Pérez was killed on Sunday.

Pérez, a prominent peace activist in the violence-ravaged state, was a native of San Andrés Larrainzar. A mass in his honor on Monday was held in Spanish and Tzotzil, the indigenous language he spoke.

Pérez, 50, frequently received threats but continued to work as a peace activist. Human rights advocates said Pérez did not receive the government protection he needed.

“For years, we have insisted that the Mexican government must confront the threats and aggressions against him, but they have never implemented measures to guarantee his life, safety and well-being,” wrote human rights center Fray Bartolome de las Casas.

Although there was no immediate information about the killers – President Claudia Sheinbaum said only that “investigations are being carried out” – Rev. Pérez’s peace and mediation efforts may have angered one of the two drug cartels currently fighting for control of Chiapas .

The state is a lucrative route for drug and migrant smuggling.

“Father Marcelo Pérez was the target of constant threats and attacks by organized crime groups”, according to the rights center, adding that his murder “occurred in the context of a serious escalation of violence against the population in all regions of Chiapas.”

For at least the past two years, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have been involved in bloody turf battles that have involved the murder of entire families and forcing villagers to take sides in the dispute. Hundreds of Chiapas residents had to flee to neighboring Guatemala for their own safety.

“They should look for an intelligent way to disarm these groups,” said Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, who previously served as bishop of the region. “They shouldn’t wait for people to file complaints, and people are going to file complaints because their lives are at risk.”

Coupled with ongoing drug violence in the northern state of Sinaloa and the army’s killings of six migrants earlier this month, Pérez’s murder was another embarrassment for the government.

Sheinbaum took office on October 1 and promised to follow the policy of his predecessor and mentor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, of not confronting drug cartels. The policy failed to significantly reduce violence.

“This is a reflection of the entire country,” said Cardinal Arizmendi after the mass in Pérez. “They shouldn’t say everything is fine in Mexico. Please.” he continued. “This strategy didn’t work.”

The state prosecutor’s office said Rev. Pérez was shot to death by two gunmen while he was in his van, shortly after he finished celebrating Mass.

He served the community for two decades and was known as a negotiator in conflicts in a mountainous region of Chiapas where crime, violence and land disputes are rife. Pérez also led several marches against violence, which earned him several death threats.

The UN Human Rights Office said Pérez was the seventh human rights activist killed in Mexico so far in 2024.

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