Recently, Mexican police agents captured the alleged killer of priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez, Edgar “N”, also known as Scrapy, at Mercadito 2, about 700 meters from the historic center of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas, a southern state bordering Guatemala.
At the time of Edgar “N” arrest, agents seized several doses of methamphetamine. Chiapas Governor Rutilio Escandón Cadenas announced the capture of the alleged killer on his social media account. “My recognition to the judicial authorities who informed me that the perpetrator of Father Marcelo’s death has been arrested.”
Following the governor’s announcement, one of Father Marcelo Pérez’s brothers told Mexican news outlet Milenio that they had no information about the arrest of the suspect. “I did not know, I would be lying if I said otherwise, but if corruption continues, there is no justice,” he said.
Father Marcelo was killed last Sunday. After celebrating mass in San Cristobal de las Casas, “two men on a motorcycle shot at his vehicle,” where his “lifeless body” was later found.
UN’s Condemnation
The murder of the priest is an “absolutely unacceptable” crime and must be thoroughly investigated, requested the Mexican office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Ohchr “condemns the murder committed this morning in San Cristóbal de las Casas (…) and urges the authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, and effective investigation,” the statement reads.
According to the Ohchr, the prelate had received threats and was precautionarily protected by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheibaum assured that her government has already opened an investigation and is in contact with the Catholic Church authorities.
The Church’s Plea to Stop Violence
The Catholic Church has called on Mexican authorities to end violence and corruption in Chiapas after the Sunday assassination of indigenous priest and human rights advocate Marcelo Pérez in San Cristobal de las Casas.
“We ask the three levels of government for the total end of the violence that afflicts our state, a result of impunity, complicity, and corruption,” wrote the San Cristobal de las Casas diocese, to which the priest belonged, in a press release. The diocese also requested that the crime be investigated “until both the perpetrators and masterminds are identified.”
Pérez, 51, was a staunch enemy of drug traffickers. As a member of the Tzotzil Maya ethnic group, the priest had received threats, likely due to his reports on drug trafficking and violence in Chiapas, a battleground for organized crime groups.
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