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I gave in, but I gave in out of fear, 

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so as not to cause conflict.

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It was a bullet wound to the face, 

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here on the left side, below the eye.

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They followed us and shot us from behind.

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I believe that Christ is the example.

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Since 1993, the year Cardinal Posadas Ocampo was murdered, 

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nearly 80 priests have been killed. 

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More importantly, many are murdered 
and then slandered after their death.

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Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world for civilians. Only in Palestine is the threat greater.

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Almost 50,000 people are murdered or go missing every year. 

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Mexico is also the most dangerous country in America for priests.

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The Sumidero Canyon is one of the natural wonders of Chiapas, 
in southern Mexico.  

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The state is rich in water and natural resources. 

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Yet, it is also the poorest in the country. 

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 Many of its inhabitants are indigenous.

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In Chiapas, the Catholic Church is often under attack for defending indigenous people 

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and opposing the abuses of organized crime groups. 

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Chiapas borders Guatemala.

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It is part of a strategic route for trafficking 
drugs, arms, and people,

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as well as illegal mining.

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The Church, the Diocese of San Cristóbal, 

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has maintained a commitment to the poor,

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a commitment to life, and a commitment 
to the defense of human rights.

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That is why the Church has been attacked.

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What we are seeing

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is that our pastoral workers, 
our brother priests, nuns, and catechists, 

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are being harassed in relation to the defense of land and territory, 

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 and the care of Mother Earth.

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Some of the indigenous people of Chiapas 
live in communities such as Zinacantán. 

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 Its center is the church of San Lorenzo Mártir.

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The church blends Spanish Baroque with the worldview 
or artistic style of the Tzotzil people, 

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one of the first groups the Spanish encountered.

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History is repeating itself.

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 The defense of human rights

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is what distinguished the first Bishop of Chiapas 
in the 16th century, 

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 the Spaniard Bartolomé de las Casas.

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The first evangelization dates back to 1545, 

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when the friars, the Spaniards, arrived 
and evangelization began here in Chiapas. 

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They brought… they established the indigenous villages.

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Here, within the diocese, there are five indigenous groups.

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These are the Tzotzil, the Tzeltal, 
the Chole, the Tojolabal, and the Zoque

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Two of the country’s most powerful cartels 

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 are vying for control of many of the territories 
where the indigenous people live.

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There are two powerful cartels in Mexico,

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 the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel,

47
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which have gradually taken over many territories.

48
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We can say that there are territories where alliances 

49
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form between criminal groups, political power, 
and economic power,

50
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and these become systems

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that end up controlling both the territory and the relationships

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between citizens and institutions.

53
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The Indigenous population also holds significant influence 
in San Cristóbal de las Casas, 

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one of the most important cities in Chiapas,

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founded by the Spanish in the 16th century.

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In San Cristóbal de las Casas, 
on the rainy morning of Sunday, 20 October 2024, 

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Father Marcelo Pérez was murdered by organized crime.

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He had just celebrated Mass 
in the church in this neighborhood. 

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A security camera recorded the moment 
when the hitman walked past the church.

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He then approached a car, shot him, 
and people rushed to help him.

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On Sunday, after the Mass that Father Marcelo celebrated 
in a church called "The Sweet Name of Jesus", 

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 in theCuxtitali neighborhood of this parish,

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after the Mass, as he was leaving the church 
and walking a block away,

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he got into his car and was murdered.

65
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Well, we believe that perhaps  
he was still able to drive the car,

66
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and about 100 meters... 

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150 meters on, he pulled over and died there.

68
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Because it was in Cuxtitalithat they killed him. 

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When I arrived—because I was the first to arrive—

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I just sent a message to my family 

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saying I was on my way.

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Father Marcelo was a Tzotzil indigenous
and always defended the indigenous people.

73
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Our mother tongue is Tzotzil. 

74
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We are indigenous people from here in Chiapas.

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Father Marcelo’s last parish 

76
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was the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe 
in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

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Before arriving at the sanctuary, for 20 years, 

78
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Father Marcelo was a parish priest in two poor, 

79
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predominantly indigenous villages in Chiapas,

80
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Chenalhó and Simojovel.

81
00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,040
His contact with the victims of organized crime 

82
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changed his life and shaped his vocation.

83
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When he sees his parishioners suffering, he is transformed.

84
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When one experiences the suffering of others

85
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Truly experiences it, one changes. 

86
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One changes one’s outlook on life.

87
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,880
Shortly after his ordination, he began to denounce the activities of organized crime. 

88
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He began to accompany the displaced 
and the victims of violence.

89
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He went to live amongst the displaced 
and the survivors of Acteal. 

90
00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:25,880
All he did was accompany them, 
accompany the survivors.

91
00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,640
There were many disputes, 

92
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and people would come to my brother. 

93
00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,400
Father, what are we going to do? 

94
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We have this problem.

95
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My daughter won’t obey, 
my daughter does this and that. 

96
00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,120
And my husband drinks too much. 
My husband takes drugs.

97
00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:41,920
My daughter won’t obey, my daughter does this and that. And my husband drinks too much. 
My husband takes drugs.

98
00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:48,080
 And he began to talk to them. 

99
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And he began, through the Gospel, to evangelize.

100
00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,520
From very early on, Father Marcelo 
suffered attacks and threats.

101
00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,160
Ever since he was ordained a priest, 

102
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his life has been in danger. 

103
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 Because they also 

104
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 connected a car detonator to the fuel tank.

105
00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,320
Father Marcelo began organizing pilgrimages in 2014 

106
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to defend the indigenous people.

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I lived with Father Marcelo for a year.

108
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And so, yes, we went through some very tense moments there.

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Sometimes we would weep with Father Marcelo.

110
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For example, we had to weep for a while 

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when the catechist Simón Pedro was killed. 

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And it caused us great sadness.

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And so, we prayed, 
above all asking God for peace. 

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We asked for God’s protection. 

115
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Because we know we are not alone wherever we are. 

116
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Knowing that what we do is for life, for the Gospel. 

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And I believe that is what gives us the most strength.

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On 13 September 2024, 

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Marcelo led his final pilgrimage.

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Well, there were so many people. 

121
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They carried the cross, the banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

122
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and the Mexican flag.

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So, I believe martyrs like Father Marcelo, Simón Pedro, 

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catechist Ignacio, and others are what inspire us
to keep fighting and offer our lives for this cause.

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The investigation into the murder of Father Marcelo 
in San Cristóbal de las Casas is still officially ongoing.

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The person who actually took the shots 
has been arrested and sentenced,

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but nothing is known 
about those who masterminded his death

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and no one has any confidence 
that justice will be done.

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You need to be a politician 
to get justice here in Chiapas. 

130
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You need to have a lot of money here 
to get justice.

131
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 There is justice, but only for a few. 

132
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And the majority here in Chiapas, 
what can I say? 

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70%, 80% of us don’t have that. 

134
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It is not because —not precisely because— 
we are indigenous.

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In San Cristóbal de las Casas, 
as in much of Mexico, 

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organized crime has a major influence 
on the authorities. 

137
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 It has dealings with those in charge of the institutions. 

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Impunity is guaranteed.

139
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,880
In Mexico City, the Church is also harassed. 

140
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There are nuns who work with sex workers 
who suffer pressure from drug trafficking. 

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00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,720
 They prefer not to speak out.

142
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,800
Often, for this very reason, 
it is very difficult to document this type of violence 

143
00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:31,120
because the nuns are not willing to explicitly and openly 

144
00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,360
document what is happening,

145
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not out of fear for their lives 

146
00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,360
but out of fear for the organizations

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in which they work.

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00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:43,640
The country has become a narco-state.

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In 2000, the Mexican Episcopal Conference 

150
00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:53,560
published a document entitled
 ‘From the Encounter with Jesus Christ to Solidarity with All’.

151
00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:55,880
 In it, the bishops of that time warned 

152
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that we had to be very careful

153
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because Mexico could become a narco-state.

154
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Nothing in Mexico can be fully understood without visiting 

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00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:07,840
the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

156
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 To the place where she appeared 
to the indigenous man, Juan Diego.

157
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The devotees of the Virgin are 
the ones being murdered, kidnapped, attacked: 

158
00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,640
yet they often share a devotion with their tormentors.

159
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In recent months, we have witnessed 

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many attacks, violent assaults

161
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and entire families murdered 

162
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around the time of religious festivals.

163
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:44,120
What’s more, members of these groups pressure priests

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to give them prominent roles in religious festivities.

165
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It's deeply contradictory, 

166
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çacting as both a sign of devotion

167
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and an attack on the ecclesial community.

168
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The vast Zócalo square in Mexico City 
was the heart of the Mexica Empire.

169
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,080
It was here that Hernán Cortés established 

170
00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,560
the seat of government for the Spanish Viceroyalty.

171
00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,680
In Mexico’s recent history,

172
00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:15,160
drug trafficking and organized crime 
have emerged as a new power, 

173
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often allied with the state authorities.

174
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:26,480
Twenty-five years ago, the major cartels that profited from selling 
drugs to the United States became firmly established.

175
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The situation worsened with the so-called war on drug trafficking 
launched in 2006 by President Felipe Calderón.

176
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The cartels fractured, 

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and the number of priests murdered increased.

178
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:45,760
Yes, these attacks began to occur with increasing frequency 
during Felipe Calderón’s government,

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as he effectively confronted organized crime head-on.

180
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,640
During those years, the Zetas cartel 

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introduced a new modus operandi for organized crime.

182
00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,400
What the Zetas did was arrive in the territory, 

183
00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,680
gather smaller criminal groups, 

184
00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:08,880
and tell them, ‘Look, we’re going to organize ourselves here.

185
00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,840
You’ll specialize in piracy, 

186
00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,640
you in extorting bars,

187
00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,400
you in selling marijuana, you in selling cocaine.

188
00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,200
And part of the deal with the priest, with the family, is: 

189
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 ‘Fine, we’ll let you live 

190
00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,240
as long as you leave our area of control.

191
00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:33,720
So, that’s forced displacement

192
00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:45,880
The Sierra Madre del Sur runs through 
much of the state of Guerrero in central Mexico.

193
00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,960
In these parts, many have until recently made a living from drugs.

194
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:56,160
This is where the poppy is grown, 
from which opium gum and heroin are extracted.

195
00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,360
Guerrero is one of the most violent states in Mexico.

196
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,640
Let’s say that 90% of Guerrero’s territory 

197
00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,120
is controlled by organized crime groups.

198
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:11,160
These images are from an area of the Sierra Madre 
where there is neither army nor police.

199
00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,000
It is an area controlled by one of the Guerrero cartels.

200
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:21,080
You cannot enter it without permission from the drug traffickers who have replaced the state.

201
00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,320
Filiberto Velázquez, known as Father Fili.

202
00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,280
He lives under the protection of bodyguards armed with automatic rifles. 

203
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:35,840
 He travels in an armored van.

204
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:40,040
He has been the victim of two assassination attempts and a kidnapping.

205
00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,440
In 2023 he had bullets very close.

206
00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,000
Yes, indeed, the bullet came through the windscreen. 

207
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,640
But fortunately, I wasn’t hurt.

208
00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,840
Fili is in the crosshairs of organized crime 
for denouncing violence,

209
00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:04,280
defending those who suffer it—especially the poorest—
and for standing by the victims.

210
00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:08,600
The work I have done as an advocate since 2017 

211
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:14,000
has been with mothers of missing children.

212
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:19,760
Most of these disappearances are linked to 

213
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:24,320
territorial control, recruitment, and settling of scores.

214
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,200
The former state prosecutor, 

215
00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:36,760
when I told her I’d gone to see the leader of a group to save a young man’s life

216
00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,720
—whom his group had abducted—she told me, 

217
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:44,240
‘It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it.’ 

218
00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,840
For me, it is worth it. Because he is a person

219
00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,880
Tlacotepec is a village in the Sierra de Guerrero 
that has lived off the opium poppy.

220
00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,240
Now it has sunk into poverty due to competition from fentanyl, 

221
00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:04,640
a drug that is cheaper and much stronger than heroin.

222
00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:08,040
Carlos Triana has been one 
of the last parish priests Tlacotepec has had. 

223
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:14,280
The village is a sad example of 
how drug trafficking gains social support.

224
00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:15,840
They look after the village.

225
00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,640
They don’t tax them, they don’t demand 
protection money from shopkeepers,

226
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,920
they don’t put any pressure on them.

227
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,440
They leave them be; they look after them.

228
00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,440
 And the village feels at ease. 

229
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:31,600
They even admire them and are grateful to them.

230
00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:36,680
Organized crime first takes control of the territory 

231
00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,400
through guns or vans, 

232
00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,880
or by leaving a body in a public space.

233
00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:45,600
 It also co-opts relationships. 

234
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,640
It solves problems for the community.

235
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,920
With money, they have drinking water, 

236
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,280
with money, they can hold their festival, 

237
00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,880
with gifts for the children, with gifts for the mothers.

238
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,880
Triana has experienced the power of organized crime first-hand. 

239
00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,040
He has suffered its threats. She has been afraid.

240
00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,800
Here, they dismember people and bury them in mass graves. 

241
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Here, people disappear.

242
00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:21,280
So, when we hear people telling us this, 
confiding in us, sharing their pain, it frightens us.

243
00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:27,240
A hitman forced him to marry his second wife 
while he was still married to his first.

244
00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,520
We know deep down that marriage was invalid.

245
00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:35,400
But I’m not going to tell them that, nor am 
I going to tell him I won’t marry them. I gave in.

246
00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,560
But I gave in out of fear, so as not to cause conflict.

247
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,160
 I lived there; it’s the mountain. 

248
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:46,400
The National Guard doesn’t go there, 
the Army doesn’t go there, the Police don’t go there.

249
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,520
So there, as I say, I feel unprotected.

250
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:54,120
Many force us to baptize their children without papers, 
without meeting the requirements. 

251
00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:57,240
 And there I am, defenseless, with no one to turn to

252
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,200
In Guerrero, in Michoacán, 
there have been many cases of threats against priests 

253
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:07,080
who refused to perform baptisms

254
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,760
or first communions outside the church.

255
00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:14,240
Look, protection money generally operates in parishes. 

256
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,800
After Mass, after the collection,

257
00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,560
certain groups come and levy a tax on the parish priest.

258
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,400
Father Carlos Triana celebrated a funeral 
for a dismembered hitman. 

259
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,480
His remains had been distributed 
among the coffins of four other hitmen.

260
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,200
I went and asked him, 

261
00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,880
‘Sir, you told me there were five, but there are only four coffins.’

262
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,600
 ‘The thing is, one was dismembered.

263
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:45,000
 and we put his bits and pieces into different boxes 

264
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,840
 so there would be four.’ 

265
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:48,480
That really shocked me. 

266
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I am a man of faith.

267
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All morning, I placed myself in God’s hands. 

268
00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,040
Lord, you sent me here. 
I neither chose nor ever thought of coming here.

269
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 I am from Colombia. 

270
00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,400
If you brought me here, it is for a reason. 

271
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,560
 I will do the work as best I can. Watch over me, help me.

272
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,440
The bishop of Chilpancingo - Guerrero’s capital - 

273
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has also suffered an attack, a warning.

274
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,080
They fired at us, yes, we drove past their checkpoint

275
00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:20,040
and saw no sign for us to stop. 

276
00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,520
 And they followed us and shot us from behind.

277
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,200
And they said they were looking for someone.

278
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,080
His predecessor, Bishop Salvador Rangel, 

279
00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,120
who was very active in denouncing organized crime,

280
00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:37,440
was kidnapped and, when he was released, 

281
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,520
they tried to link him to a sex scandal.

282
00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:45,240
Well, that was indeed a warning for him to keep quiet, 

283
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,520
to say no more.

284
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,680
He was kidnapped, abducted, and then slandered by being told 

285
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,720
he was taking pills for erectile dysfunction,

286
00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,840
let alone that he was with a person of the opposite sex, and so on.

287
00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,920
He appeared in front of the television cameras

288
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,680
in a hospital, drugged. 

289
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,800
 And then they took photos of him naked in a motel.

290
00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:15,120
So, they completely destroyed the reputation of a bishop.

291
00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:20,960
The current Bishop of Chilpancingo 
argues that we must also speak to murderers.

292
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,520
So, the murderer is my brother, 

293
00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,680
the soldier is my brother, 

294
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:32,120
and this victim is my sister, and the perpetrator is my brother.

295
00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:39,280
Christ would listen to all those who are doing evil and who, 
at some point, seek help from Christ and the Church;

296
00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,160
Christ would listen to them. 

297
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,640
That said, he would demand things of them. 

298
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,120
Acapulco, the Pearl of the Pacific, 

299
00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:56,760
once shone as the premier destination for luxury tourism 
across the entire continent. 

300
00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:04,080
Now, organized crime has the bay,
 and the city is shrouded in a perpetual storm.

301
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,040
There is widespread extortion, 

302
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:08,680
many people have gone missing,

303
00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,360
and there are numerous murders. 

304
00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:17,960
There are sudden periods when certain taxi groups 
are banned from operating, 

305
00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,520
forcing people to walk, which creates a problem.

306
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,480
On the streets of Acapulco, there are now 
few tourists and, as in the rest of the country, 

307
00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:33,880
 too many victims of violence trying to find the bodies 
of their loved ones and rebuild their lives.

308
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,600
In Father Leonardo Morales’s parish, 

309
00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,000
the Sacred Heart Parish of Acapulco, 

310
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,840
there is a center run by Caritas to support the victims.

311
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:48,960
When a mother has lost a son who has been murdered,

312
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,680
even the family wonders why. 

313
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,080
Perhaps he was on the wrong path, 

314
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,640
perhaps he was doing things he shouldn’t have been. 

315
00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,960
One mother told me, 

316
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,400
After some time, I found out who had murdered my son. 

317
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:11,040
 “I have to find whoever I can make them pay 
for what they’ve done to my son.”’ 

318
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,240
She said, ‘I realize that’s not the answer,

319
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,600
because then I’ll go from being a victim 
to becoming a perpetrator myself.’ 

320
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:19,800
 And what will happen?

321
00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,440
I thought of his mother,

322
00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,320
the mother of that person who had killed my son.

323
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:28,160
And I don’t want any mother to suffer what I am suffering today. 

324
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,960
We often think that what victims want is justice. 

325
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:38,760
And I believe that justice is the justice 
of imprisoning those perpetrators.

326
00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,160
But throughout these processes.

327
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,680
I have discovered that the justice that restores
 is the one that speaks the truth.

328
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,120
 I have met families who say,

329
00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:54,080
‘All I wanted was a space where it would be acknowledged 
that my son is not guilty.’

330
00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:58,320
And so, when people tell you,

331
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,680
‘I’ve started eating my favorite dessert again,’  

332
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,120
or ‘I’ve started talking to that neighbor again,’ 

333
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,600
or ‘Now I can receive the Eucharist again.’

334
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,280
Father Leonardo heals by weeping with those who weep.

335
00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,520
He is like other priests, like other Christians in Mexico,

336
00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:28,360
a free man in a land where monstrous violence 

337
00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:32,680
seeks to turn people into fodder for torment. 

338
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,560
He is a voice for the silenced; 

339
00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,520
he is a witness to an impossible love.

340
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:45,120
Recently, a lady came to have a sheet blessed; 
we call it the ‘holy sheet’

341
00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,600
which is the white sheet that is blessed 
and placed over the corpse, 

342
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,880
over the body of the person who has died. 

343
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,880
 The lady told me that her son had been murdered on his birthday. 

344
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,000
That really struck me, and the lady began to weep.

345
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,240
 I embraced her and held her for quite a while; 

346
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,320
she was an elderly lady. 

347
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,880
And that really gets to you; it makes you cry, too.

348
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:20,520
What drives these Christians from Chiapas, Guerrero, Acapulco, 

349
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,160
and other corners of Mexico
to live as they do?

350
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,840
I believe that the blood shed by our martyrs, 

351
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:35,360
inspire us to keep going

352
00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:41,240
I feel this very deeply as a pries 
I am still young, and I have given my life too. 

353
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,800
I am deeply passionate about my service as a priest,  

354
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:45,240
about walking alongside my people,

355
00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:50,360
being with my people, and suffering with them.

356
00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:53,160
My fear is that, as St Augustine says, 

357
00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,680
Christ might pass by, and I might not even realize it. 

358
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,360
For Christ to pass amidst so many people who are suffering, 

359
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:04,960
 who are crying out, who… who are crying out for justice, 

360
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,560
like the families of the disappeared, 

361
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,480
like the migrants we have right now 
in Mexico City looking for work 

362
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:16,280
and in other cities across Mexico.

363
00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,920
If God is life, we have to defend and love life