A priest known for his activism in defence of Indigenous and labour rights in Mexico has been killed after leaving church services, local authorities said.
Catholic priest Marcelo Perez was returning home from church on Sunday when two men on a motorcycle pulled alongside his vehicle and shot him, prosecutors in the southern state of Chiapas said.
“Father Marcelo has been a symbol of resistance and has stood alongside the communities of Chiapas for decades, defending the dignity and rights of the people and working toward true peace,” the Jesuits, Perez’s religious order, said in a statement.
The killing comes amid a period of heightened violence in the southern state, which recorded about 500 murders between January and August this year.
Along with the rights of Indigenous people and farmworkers, the Jesuits said Perez was also a vocal critic of organised criminal groups.
“This region doesn’t just suffer from murders, but also forced recruitment (into criminal groups), kidnappings, threats …