Two gunmen in southern Mexico shot dead a Catholic Priest, who was also an activist for Indigenous people and farm laborers, amid a surge in violence in the southern Chiapas region.

Marcelo Perez was killed in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas, in the state of Chiapas, as he was returning to his home church after officiating a mass on Sunday.

According to state prosecutors, the religious leader was shot in his car by two men on a motorcycle.

Who was Marcelo Perez?

Perez belonged to the Tzotzil Indigenous Maya group.

He had served the community for nearly 20 years and was known as a negotiator in conflicts in Chiapas, a region that is battling with crime, violence and land disputes.

"Father Marcelo has been a symbol of resistance and has stood alongside the communities of Chiapas for decades, defending the dignity and rights of the people and working toward true peace," the Jesuits, Perez's religious order, said in a statement.

Assassination comes after several death threats

The priest's marches against violence and a vocal stand against organized crime in the area brought him frequent death threats.

"Several national and international organizations had publicly warned about the growing number of threats, attacks and acts of criminalization against [Perez], which have intensified in recent years due to his tireless work in favor of justice and the rights of indigenous peoples," the UN human rights office in Mexico said in a statement.

Chiapas Governor Rutilio Escandon denounced "the cowardly assassination" of Perez on social media platform X.

"We will collaborate with all the authorities so his death doesn't go unpunished and those guilty face the courts," he said.

Violence in Chiapas has increased in recent years. The state recorded 500 murders from January to August this year, according to official figures. The numbers are up from 309 murders, logged in the same period last year, official data shows.

dvv/jsi (Reuters, AP)