More than 20,000 indigenous people from nine ethnic groups, residents, believers and civil organizations marched through the streets of San Cristobal de Las Casas to seek justice for the murder of the father Marcelo Perezdefender of the human rights of indigenous peoples in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.
“We don’t know how the procedures are going, we don’t know anything, we’re still waiting,” he said. Romeo Perez PerezMarcelo’s brother, who participated in the demonstration 15 days after the homicide.
Father Marcelo Pérez, an indigenous Tzotzil priest, was shot dead on October 20 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, a tourist city in Chiapas.
The work of Father Marcelo was not only limited to his pastoral vocation, He was also a strong defender of the rights of indigenous peoples and had received precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) due to the threats against him.
The Minerva Bello Human Rights Center of Chilpancingo, which assists in the legal part of Father Marcelo’s case to demand broader, technical and predictable justice, revealed that one person is detained and two more are being investigated.
“We are in the complementary investigation stage, there is a person linked to the process and 2 people with unexecuted arrest warrants, we know who they are, but we cannot reveal their names,” said the father. José Filiberto Velázquez Florencio.
After the murder of Father Marcelo, the protesters and the diocese of Saint Christopher They pointed out that violence is increasing throughout the region as there are more murders, patrols in vans and motorcycles that harass the population, human rights defenders, journalists and the clergy.
“We call with deep charity and in a spirit of peace to the State authorities, to the federal authorities, so that they can offer security guarantees,” said Miguel Ángel Montoya, vicar of Justice and Peace of the local diocese. .
The contingents left from three points of the city: to the east with more than 10,000 people, to the west about 4,000 people were seen and to the south another 6,000 people, all of them carrying white flags, with the legend “Peace.”
Violence against indigenous peoples in Chiapas
Others called for “organized crime out.” “Stop narcopolitics”, “Justice for Father Marcelo”, “Stop forced displacement”, “Murderous government, you kill peace-building priests”, “If you silence the voice of the prophets the stones will speak” or “The united people will never be defeated”.
The protesters also sang the anthem “I am not afraid: in my soul I know with deep faith that we will soon win, we will soon win, together we will fight in the end. I want my country to be happy with love and freedom”, composed by Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez.
The contingent ended up in the city center in front ofl altar of colorful flowers, seeds, candles, incense, the image of Father Marcelo, that of Bishop Samuel Ruiz García, and a small temple where they celebrated mass and the complaints of the believing people against the wave of violence of organized crime were read.
This mega march occurs in a context of violence that cities, towns and indigenous communities of Chiapas have been experiencing for six years and that to date continue in the Frontera, Sierra, Soconusco, Costa, Cuxtepeques, Fraylesca, Valles, Selva and High ones, mainly.
The organizations pointed out the attacks which range from murders, disappearances, forced displacements, kidnappings, disappearance of girls, boys, adolescents and young people, and forced recruitment, communities kidnapped by criminal groups that force them to stand as a human barrier.
Also extortion, known as ‘fee payment’, as well as intimidation and threats to human rights defenders and the territory, and priests, missionaries and missionaries.
Pérez’s murder has been condemned by various human rights defenders, the Catholic Church and the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaumwho assured that his Government is working to clarify the case.
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