The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has denied the existence of a "civil war" atmosphere in Chiapas, a Mexican state located on the southern border of the country, despite reports from indigenous residents about the murders of land and indigenous rights defenders, such as Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez.
"No (there is no war), I don't believe it, based on the information we have. It is important to work so that such a situation (the priest's homicide) does not happen again and that there are no displacements, to pacify and prevent extortion and crimes that are occurring," Sheinbaum responded in her daily conference when questioned about it.
The National Indigenous Congress (CNI) issued a statement alerting about the situation in Chiapas, describing that "just over two weeks into Claudia Sheinbaum's presidency, Chiapas is in a civil war scenario" due to the violence of organized crime in the region, which seeks to control drug and human trafficking on the southern border of Mexico.
Indigenous communities highlighted that the murder of priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez last Sunday reflects the violence they suffer, including forced displacements, homicides, and enforced disappearances.
Sheinbaum stated that her government is already working on the case of Pérez Pérez, whose investigation has been taken on by the Attorney General's Office. The priest was shot by unknown individuals on a motorcycle after conducting a mass in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. The priest's funeral took place this Tuesday.
In response to the growing violence, indigenous communities aligned with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) plan to demonstrate this Thursday to denounce the situation in Chiapas.
