Human rights defender Reynaldo Pérez shot dead in Chiapas, Mexico

MADRID, Oct 29 (OPA) — Reynaldo Pérez Pérez was killed by gunmen on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the community of Yabteclum, located in the Chenalhó municipality of Chiapas. According to preliminary reports from the Chiapas Attorney General’s office, two suspects on a motorcycle approached the victim and opened fire with a handgun before fleeing the scene.

Chiapas Attorney General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca confirmed that personnel from the Indigenous Prosecutor’s Office, along with forensic experts and investigative agents, have been deployed to the site to collect evidence and process the scene. No suspects have been apprehended in connection with the attack as of Thursday morning.

The assassination follows a series of warnings issued by the United Nations to the Mexican government regarding the safety of Pérez. The activist had been reporting death threats, an attempted disappearance, and armed attacks against him since October 2022, prompting international concern over the security of human rights workers in the region.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the motive behind the shooting. The incident highlights the ongoing security challenges facing activists in the Los Altos region of Chiapas, where violence linked to organized crime and local disputes has intensified over the past several years.