Catholic Priest Ambushed and Killed After Giving Mass in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Padre Marcelo Pérez, an indigenous Catholic priest and community leader, was slain by gunmen after giving mass in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. His death has provoked mass mourning and protest from the community, where he was known as an advocate for the indigenous and their rights.

Around 7:20 a.m. on October 20th, Padre Marcelo had just finished officiating a mass service at the Cuxtitali parish church in northeastern San Cristobal de las Casas when two masked men on a motorcycle opened fire as he drove away. Eight shots were fired, killing Padre Marcelo at the scene. 

Authorities responded to the scene and found him dead inside a Ford Titanium with bullet holes in the windows. So far no one has been arrested for the murder. Later that day, the Chiapas Attorney General's office announced that it had opened a case into the killing.

Padre Marcelo and members of his parish community have previously been the target of threats. In April 2020, he received a threatening phone call from a man identifying himself as the "Colonel" who said "…it is up to you to ensure that a massacre does not break out among your parishioners”. The week before the phone call, parishioners reported seeing a man taking photos of them outside the church. They believed his intention was to be noticed performing the surveillance, likely as a threat.

Around the same time, an associate of Padre Marcelo had received an anonymous phone call warning him that people were asking around seeking information about those who worked at the Guadalupe parish church.

Padre Marcelo routinely led marches and protests against violence and threats to indigenous rights.

Padre Marcelo was an outspoken critic of organized crime and its predation on the people of Chiapas. He was a figurehead of popular movements focused on fighting for indigenous rights and repression from organized crime and the government. At the time of his killing, he was the parish priest of the Guadalupe parish in San Cristobal, but he was previously the parish priest of the community of Pantehlo, but was removed for alleged links with a local autodefensa group. 

In 2022, he was accused by the state Attorney Generals Office (FGE) of alleged links to the El Machete autodefensa and the disappearance of 21 people from Pantehlo. The FGE requested an arrest warrant from a judge, but the case fizzled out. Padre Marcelo proved that he was in a different location at the time of the kidnapping, and maintained that he was not involved. Other community leaders criticized the investigation as an attempt to "criminalize" Padre Marcelo. 

The killing has caused a wave of mourning from the community. After a long funeral march attended by hundreds, he was buried yesterday in a local cemetery. 

According to a local interviewed by Sociedad Noticias, "the father Marcelo was a man of peace, always helping those who needed it most and never was involved in any trouble. This is a terrible blow to the community". Another local interviewed by Heraldo de Chiapas said "We are very sad, there is much insecurity in San Cristóbal de las Casas and our government knows of it, but does nothing. The father Marcelo was very loved in San Cristóbal, and unfortunately (the violence) touched him".

Miguel Pérez Santiz, the father of the slain priest at his son's funeral.

Sources: @JoseVictor_Rdz Twitter, FrontLine Defenders 2020, Sociedad Noticias, FGE Chiapas, Heraldo de Chiapas, Animal Politico, La Silla Rota