Mexico.

Christian group demands Mexico protect clergy after priest is assassinated.

Anugrah Kumar  06 November 2024.

(Photo: Unsplash)

(CP) A religious freedom group has called on the Mexican government to protect clergy after a priest was assassinated in Chiapas State.

Fr. Marcelo Pérez Pérez, who was shot to death after officiating Mass, had been a prominent advocate for peace and human rights in the region.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) last week urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the Oct. 20 assassination in the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Two days after the assassination, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of one suspect. The Chiapas public prosecutor's office identified the alleged "material author" of the crime as Edgar "N," following the usual practice of not giving full names, CBS News reported.

Mexico authorities arrest suspected killer of well-known priest who was ... Father Marcelo Perez, 51, was shot dead by two gunmen just after he had finished celebrating Mass, officials said.

In September, Fr. Pérez Pérez led a public march calling for peace and spoke out against the growing presence of organized crime in Chiapas, according to CSW, which noted that he had received threats after speaking out against drug trafficking and related violence in the state.

Chiapas State has been gripped by a cartel turf war between powerful groups like the Sinaloa and the Jalisco New Generation Cartels.

"Although an arrest has been made in the case, a thorough investigation is imperative to ensure that all those responsible for Father Pérez Pérez's death — including those at the very top of transnational organized criminal groups — are held to account," said CSW's Head of Advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl. CT.