- Father Marcelo was shot on Sunday after celebrating Mass
- Authorities identified the suspect as Edgar N, a local drug dealer
- Marcelo was known for his efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region
Man held over shooting of Mexican priest
Mexican police have arrested a man accused of murdering Father Marcelo Pérez, a Roman Catholic priest and human rights advocate in Chiapas. Father Marcelo was shot on Sunday after celebrating Mass in San Cristóbal de las Casas, with witnesses reporting two men on a motorbike carried out the attack.
Authorities identified the suspect as Edgar N, a local drug dealer. Father Marcelo was known for his efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region, where violence has escalated due to cartel turf wars.
Mexico’s bishops called his death a loss of a “prophetic voice” for peace and justice.
In an interview last month, he had described the southern state of Chiapas as a “time bomb”.
“There are many [people who have] disappeared, many who have been kidnapped, many who have been murdered because of the presence of organised crime here,” he said as he was leading a protest march that he described as a “pilgrimage”.
