Mexican police have arrested a man accused of murdering a Roman Catholic priest and human rights campaigner in the southern state of Chiapas.
Father Marcelo Pérez was killed Sunday after celebrating Mass at his church in the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Witnesses said the shots came from two men riding a motorbike near the church.
Authorities identified the alleged murderer as Edgar N, a local drug dealer.
Father Marcelo has campaigned tirelessly against drug trafficking in Chiapas, which has seen increased violence in recent years linked to wars between rival gangs.
The Mexican bishops’ conference said the killing silenced a “prophetic voice” who worked tirelessly for peace and justice.
According to the Chiapas prosecutor’s office, the suspected killer was identified using security camera footage, witness statements and other clues, AFP news agency reported.
Father Marcelo was killed by two men on a motorbike, who opened fire on his car.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning when Father Marcelo was returning to his parish after celebrating Mass in the Cuxtitali neighborhood of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
He was transferred to the city after receiving death threats in the rural parish where he had previously worked.
The priest tried to negotiate an end to the violence caused by a clash between a criminal gang and a vigilante group.
In an interview last month, he described the southern state of Chiapas as a “ticking time bomb.”
“There are many [people who have] disappeared, many people were kidnapped, many people were murdered because of the presence of organized crime here,” he said as he led a protest march that he described as a “pilgrimage”. .
Hundreds of mourners attended his funeral Tuesday in his hometown, San Andrés Larráinzar, chanting “Long live Father Marcelo, priest of the poor,” AFP reported.
Chiapas has seen a rise in violence over the past year as the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel vie for control of the region.
Criminal groups exploit migrants crossing the southern state on their way north to Mexico’s border with the United States.
Communities in the area have been hit hard by the violence, sometimes hiding in their homes for days as gunfire rang out outside.
However, the targeted murder of an outspoken human rights activist is seen as a dangerous escalation of violence that has been plaguing the community for months.
