Father Marcelo, Lae without Justice, Mutilated Truth
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas
August 13, 2025
Bulletin No. 06
• True justice requires a thorough investigation, punishment for those responsible, and guarantees of non-repetition.
• He was denied recognition as a human rights defender and peacebuilder.
On August 6th, the “material author” of the extrajudicial execution of Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez (hereinafter Father Marcelo) was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the Federal Criminal Justice Center in the state of Chiapas, based in Cintalapa de Figueroa. This has been done under cover of impunity and maintaining injustice through an institutional strategy that obscures the truth, without providing evidence that would lead to the masterminds of this atrocious crime that attacked the peoples and communities fighting for life and peace in Chiapas. The execution was carried out against a human rights defender, and the State, far from protecting him, criminalized him, persecuted him, and ignored Precautionary Measure MC-506-14 ordered by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Justice was obstructed, and the demand for truth and justice was silenced. The accusations against Father Marcelo, alleging attacks, intimidation, and silencing of his work as a defender of the human rights of Indigenous peoples, are part of a pattern of criminalization against defenders in Chiapas. Despite having precautionary measures, the Mexican State failed to guarantee his safety. Once again, the case of a defender is being treated as a simple homicide, denying the work for peace and reconciliation among peoples to which Father Marcelo dedicated his life.
The widespread violence in Chiapas is preventing peace from advancing. In recent weeks, violence has flared in the Border and Sierra Regions, as well as in the Highlands of Chiapas. Amidst the talk of peace, armed groups operating in various regions of Chiapas, which have not been identified, investigated, prosecuted, or dismantled, continue to threaten peoples and communities.
In the midst of widespread violence in the state of Chiapas, where the work of human rights defenders is not recognized, but instead is murdered, defamed, criminalized, and attacked, we call for national and international solidarity to highlight those of us who walk alongside the people, demanding that the Mexican State fulfill its responsibility to protect and guarantee the life, safety, and integrity of those who defend human rights.
We demand that the Mexican State investigate without shortcuts or pacts of impunity. Because when someone fighting for life is executed, it is not enough to condemn: we must name, clarify, and transform. We must ensure a thorough investigation, identifying those responsible, punishing them appropriately, and ensuring that these acts are not repeated. We must ensure that this action is driven by institutional will to uncover the truth and achieve justice.
Original article by Frayba, August 13, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.