The government has been accused of inaction amid the war being experienced in various regions of Mexico, where Father Marcelo was recently murdered in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. Marcelo, a Tzotzil indigenous priest, not only served as a pastor but was also a defender of indigenous peoples' rights, having received precautionary measures from the IACHR due to threats against him.
Isabel Valencia, representative of the Otomí indigenous community and delegate of the National Indigenous Congress, stated that the government and organized crime are colluding, which has led to a civil war situation in Chiapas. The militarization in the area has been denounced as unprecedented, generating concern among activists and human rights defenders.
During a demonstration in Mexico City in support of the Zapatista cause and against violence towards indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas, the imposition of megaprojects and the struggle of indigenous peoples to maintain their territories were highlighted. The death of Marcelo Pérez reflects the dangers faced by activists in Mexico, where violence related to organized crime has claimed the lives of many human rights defenders.
The march called by Zapatista collectives, which included participation from student, union, and civil society groups, proceeded from the antimonument to the 43 disappeared of Ayotzinapa to the Zócalo in the capital. Amid slogans and demands, the war situation experienced by Zapatista communities was denounced, and the demand for justice and the cessation of violence in the region was expressed.
