Mexico Villagers’ Electricity and Water Restored
ICC Note: According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 27 families in the Mexican state of Chiapas will regain access to water and electrical facilities after being denied for two years. These families, who are all Christians, have been denied electricity and clean water since February of 2014 after refusing to participate in local Roman Catholic festivals. The restoration of these basic services took place as part of an agreement among local authorities and lawyers supporting the victims, meant to guarantee the religious freedom of all villagers.
02/23/2016 Mexico (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) – Twenty-seven families in the state of Chiapas will have their access to water and electricity restored after two years after local authorities agreed to respect religious freedom in the village of Unión Juárez, Trinitaria Municipality. The families, all Protestants, have been living without access to clean water or electricity since February 2014 because of their refusal to contribute to or participate in Roman Catholic festivals.
According to Luis Herrera of the Coordination of Christian Organisations (COOC), an agreement “which includes respect for beliefs, as well as the obligations of villagers, as long as these do not include participation in or contributions to religious festivals” was signed by local authorities on 19 February, in a process overseen by two lawyers who were supporting the victims.
COOC had repeatedly called for state government intervention, especially after many of the victims began to manifest serious health problems because of their lack of access to clean water. In September 2015, village leaders blocked three of the Protestant villagers from entering the village, citing a curfew and other restrictions placed on the movement of Protestants in the village. The men also reported that their mobile phone and cash were stolen, and one of the men was arbitrarily detained for 24 hours.
Despite these positive developments in Union Juarez, a number of other cases in Chiapas State, many of which involve forced displacement, remain unaddressed. Last week, village leaders in Yashtinín, San Cristóbal de las Casas Municipality, refused to allow the burial of an elderly Protestant man who was killed after being hit by a motorcycle.