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.
