Hundreds gathered on Monday to mourn Catholic priest Marcelo Pérez, an activist for Indigenous peoples and farm laborers who was killed in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. It was a killing that many say was a tragedy foretold, in a state where drug cartels have caused thousands of people to flee their homes. Mourners gathered in San Andres Larrainzar, near the city of San Cristobal de las Casas, where Pérez was killed on Sunday. Pérez, a leading activist for peace in the violence-torn state, was from San Andrés Larrainzar. A mass in his honor was held on Monday in Spanish and Tzotzil, the Indigenous language he spoke. Pérez, 50, had often received threats but continued to work as a peace activist. Human rights advocates said Pérez did not receive the government protection he needed. While there was no immediate information on the killers, President Claudia Sheinbaum only said that investigations are being carried out. Rev. Pérez’s peace and mediation efforts may have angered one of the two drug cartels fighting for control of Chiapas. The state is a lucrative route for smuggling both drugs and migrants. Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi, who once served as the bishop for the area, said, “Father Marcelo Pérez was the subject of constant threats and aggressions on the part of organized crime groups.” For at least the last two years, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have been engaged in bloody turf battles in Chiapas, forcing villagers to take sides. Hundreds of residents have had to flee to neighboring Guatemala for safety. The killing of Pérez was another embarrassment for the government, which has pledged to follow the policy of not confronting drug cartels. The state prosecutors’ office said Rev. Pérez was shot dead by two gunmen when he was in his van, just after he had finished celebrating Mass. He served in the community for two decades and was known as a negotiator in conflicts in a mountainous region of Chiapas. The U.N. Human Rights Office said Pérez was the seventh human rights activist killed in Mexico so far in 2024.
