Mexican priest Juan Manuel Zavala Madrigal was found dead on Monday in the state of Chiapas, after being reported missing on Sunday, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the state capital, reported.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez indicated that, according to information received from civil authorities, the body was found in the vicinity of the Laguna Verde Ecotourism Center, in the municipality of Coapilla. It also detailed that the relevant authorities are conducting pertinent investigations to clarify the circumstances of the “deplorable event” that took the life of Zavala Madrigal, who served as vicar at the San Marcos Evangelista parish in the city of Ocotepec.
The city council of Ocotepec confirmed the priest's death and stated that a search operation was deployed last night, involving the Prosecutor's Office, the Agency for Investigation and Ministerial Intelligence, with the support of Public Security and Civil Protection of Ocotepec and Coapilla.
The Attorney General's Office (FGE) of Chiapas also pointed out on its social networks that an investigation into the case has been initiated. “Advances in the investigations will be announced in the coming hours,” the message noted. To date, the FGE has not clarified the motive for the priest's death. The Catholic Church has been affected by the wave of violence plaguing the country; in October 2024, priest Marcelo Pérez, also a human rights defender, was assassinated in Chiapas.
