Author:
Publication: Christian Persecution
in Mexico
Date: September 18, 2002
URL: http://www.persecution.org/humanrights/mexico.html
Recent Actions: Ongoing -
Religious intolerance is highest in indigenous communities which see evangelical
Christianity as undermining their traditional culture. It is reported that
in the past 30 years at least 30,000 evangelical Christians have been expelled
from San Juan Chamula, Chiapas.
September 2002 - One hundred children
of evangelical Christians have been refused the right to enroll in primary
school in Mitziton, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. Several of the
evangelical families were expelled from the village in January and their
homes were burned. They were later able to return. "Traditional" Catholics
are reportedly trying to rid the town of evangelicals.
April 29, 2002 - This week local
officials in San Juan Chamula expelled the town's Roman Catholic priests
and cut ties with the San Cristobal de las Casas diocese on the complaint
that the Catholic clergy had allowed two Protestant women to teach in the
church. The local government has had a rocky relationship with the Roman
Catholic Church, at times cutting ties with it, in order to promote their
"traditional" faith, which encourages alcohol abuse.
August 27, 2001 - Persecution against
230 evangelicals has been resolved, in San Nicolas,
Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo state. For
months, the evangelical Christians lived without water and drainage, because
they would not renounce their faith or be expelled from their community.
On August 22, 2001, the state governor and officials met with evangelical
representatives, and signed a "definitive agreement." (Compass)
April 22, 2001 - Gilberto Tomas
Pizo, a Pentecostal pastor, was shot to death as he was traveling from
his home to his church. It is not known whether the murder was religiously
motivated. However, it is reported that Pastor Pizo had suffered persecution
since his conversion and had been expelled from the town of Villa Hidalgo
Yalalog in Oaxaca, where the murder occurred.
December 2000 - Pablo Salazar, an
evangelical Christian, was elected Governor of Chiapas.
Because of his reputation of fairness
to all sides, both the right-wing and left-wing seem to favor him. Hopefully
the election of Salazar will help bring peace to the troubled state of
Chiapas.
July 12, 2000 - Hilario and Enrique
Hernández Hernández were arrested and beaten in relation
to the arrest of their brother and mother the previous day (see below).
All of the family members except Enrique have since been released and warned
not to return to Tres Cruces. Enrique is being held until a fine of 4000
pesos is paid. Local leaders are threatening to give similar fines to anyone
who does not swear allegiance to their version of Catholicism mixed with
indigenous beliefs.
July 11, 2000 - Sacario Hernández
Hernández and his mother were arrested by local caciques in the
town of Tres Cruces, San Juan Chamula,
Chiapas. On June 29 Mr. Hernández was fined 500 pesos for listening
to "Protestant" Christian music. Failure to pay the fine led to the arrest
of the two Christians. Both reported being beaten.
April 12, 2000 - Dialogs between
Catholics and Presbyterians in Chenalho, Chiapas commenced
after some area residents took
up arms, and the churches realized the need for peaceful mediation.
July 20, 1999 - A peace agreement
was signed between key Catholic and Protestant leaders in the
Chiapas region to hopefully end
35 years of hostilities in the area. The agreement however was immediately
being strained as hostilities continued between the two sides in the village
of Icalumtic.
July 18, 1999 - A group of Catholics
opened fire on three evangelical preachers who were
preaching a message in the village
of Icalumtic in San Juan Chamulas, Chiapas. Around 150 evangelicals then
fled the area for safety. As of early August, evangelicals around the Chiapas
state were calling on President Ernesto Zedillo for help.
June 3, 1999 - Two evangelical (Presbyterian
and Christian Renewal) churches were destroyed after the caciques incited
a mob of 100 local Catholics against them for their outreach activities.
June, 1999 - Thirteen evangelicals
were arrested in Mitziton after angering local Catholics by
trying to build a church. A crowd
of hundreds came to demand their expulsion from the town.
April, 1999 - 15 evangelical Mixteca
Indians were temporarily saved from expulsion from their
homes in San Juan Metaltepec in
Oaxaca state by the legal actions of a Protestant attorney who is the head
of the Christian Defense Committee on Human Rights. Local authorities had
planned to expel them as the Catholic majority population rejected their
remaining in the area. In 1987, a similar event in the same town was successful
due 'expellees' being ignorant of their rights.
