SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, Chiapas. Héctor “N”, alias “El Chesman”, alleged leader of the criminal group known as “Los Motonetos”, accused of participating in the murder of the Tsotsil priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez, which occurred on October 20th, 2024, was arrested by members of the Ministerial Investigation and Intelligence Agency, in coordination with the Pakal Immediate Reaction Force group (FRIP).
The arrest of “El Chesman” occurred within the framework of the first anniversary of the murder of Father Marcelo, commemorated on October 20th by the Believing People of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, who remembered him as a peacemaker and defender of indigenous peoples. Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, the state attorney general, reported that the detainee is linked to the investigation opened by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for the aggravated homicide of the priest, a human rights defender and peace activist in indigenous communities.
In addition to the crime against the priest, Héctor “N” is charged with gang membership and attacks against the peace and physical integrity and property of the community and the state, for events that occurred on October 7th, 2023, also in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
The prosecutor detailed that on that day, the accused and a group of individuals armed with sticks, stones, and firearms intimidated passersby and merchants, demanding money in exchange for allowing the passage of products for sale.
The state attorney general’s office indicated that there is coordination with the FGR, the agency that executed the federal arrest warrant for aggravated homicide. The detainee is now at the disposal of the court, which will determine his legal status.
For the murder of the Tsotsil priest, so far, only Edgar “N” has been convicted, serving a 20-year prison sentence as the material perpetrator.
A Year Without Justice
The Minerva Bello Center for the Rights of Victims of Violence, which has followed the judicial process, denounced in a statement that the priest’s murder was not an isolated incident, but rather part of a strategy of terror in a context of structural impunity that favors organized crime and networks of political and economic power.
The organization accused the Mexican state of failing to guarantee truth and justice, pointing to omissions in the investigation and protection of the alleged masterminds of the crime.
“As long as there is no justice for Father Marcelo, no human rights defender in Mexico can feel safe,” stated the human rights center, which demands an independent investigation and recognition of the case as a crime against humanity.
Context of Violence and Impunity
The Minerva Bello Center maintains that Father Marcelo’s murder is part of a crisis of systemic violence affecting states such as Chiapas and Guerrero. According to civil society organizations, communities face forced displacement, disappearances, and extrajudicial executions, often with the tolerance or complicity of local and federal authorities.
Faced with this reality, the groups demanded a thorough review of the militarized security policy, which they claim has exacerbated violence in Indigenous territories.
“Peace is greater than death,” said Father Marcelo Pérez. One year after his murder, his legacy lives on in the struggles for justice, dignity, and human rights.
Original article by Gabriela Coutiño, Proceso, October 22nd, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.