Thousands of people took part in a march against violence in Chiapas on Sunday, marking the fifteenth day since the murder of Father Marcelo Pérez.
The participants, who were predominantly Catholics, called for calm in a state plagued by conflict between two criminal organizations that have been vying for control of several municipalities over the past three years. They also urged the construction of peace through dialogue and the elimination of polarization.
In an editorial titled “Desde la Fe,” the Catholic Church demanded peace based on a strategy addressing pressing social issues, rebuilding the social fabric, and restoring human dignity lost in the current turmoil.
The march began at 8 a.m., with Catholics gathering at three points: the Comitán exit, Cuxtitali square (where Father Pérez was murdered on October 20), and Tuxtla exit. They carried flags bearing “Peace” messages and banners that read, “We continue our pilgrimage until justice and peace meet” and “There can be no peace without justice, and there is no justice without love.”
They walked several kilometers to converge in the central square as part of activities honoring Bishop Samuel Ruiz García’s centenary birth. The participants included Catholics from central parishes, neighborhoods like Guadalupe, San Ramón, Fátima, Cuxtitali, and other municipalities.
The protesters wore white clothing and demanded that criminal organizations be removed from Chiapas. They also sought justice for Father Pérez’s murder on October 20 while leaving to officiate mass at the parish of Cuxtitali in the east of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. A banner called for a “complete stop to violence in Chiapas, the fruit of impunity and corruption.”
The pilgrimage was attended by Father Pérez’s father and brothers, who wore t-shirts with his face and carried portraits of him, displaying slogans such as “Peace, love, mercy.”
Before the city cathedral, the parishioners participated in a homily, praying for peace and tranquility in Chiapas. The organizers estimated that about 10,000 Catholics joined the march, coming from over half of the parishes in seven pastoral zones across 42 municipalities in the Altos, Selva, Norte, and Fronteriza regions.
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Source: Diario de Yucatan
