Defender of Indigenous Rights Assassinated; Organized Violence Intensifies in Southern Mexico

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–Researched and Written by Margaret Saine—

Simón Pedro Pérez López, a human rights activist and member of Las Abejas de Acteal, was on his way to the store with his son when he was fatally shot by a man riding a motorcycle. The Las Abejas organization works to defend the rights of indigenous people and their lands; however, violence due to organized crime has plagued the state of Chiapas and forced indigenous community members to choose between fighting or fleeing. Some local and state authorities responded by sending in armed forces, and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has assured the public that the Mecanismo de Protección is functioning properly, but many demand that more action be taken to protect these vulnerable populations. Sadly, the assassination of Pérez López is just one example of an activist being targeted and murdered in Mexico.

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