SAA event in Mexico on Thu 29th October 2026

The crime took place in the vicinity of the commercial area in the town of Yacteclum. According to initial police reports, two unidentified individuals traveling on a motorcycle intercepted the activist and shot him at point-blank range at least seven times, killing him instantly before fleeing the scene. Pérez Pérez was a member of the organization "World Diplomatic Peace Corps" (*Cuerpo Diplomático Mundial de Paz*) and served in a key role as an external advisor in the municipality of Pantelhó. He also led the legal representation and provided support to displaced families from the community of Santa Marta, in Chenalhó—an area marked by violent territorial disputes with residents of the neighboring municipality of Aldama. The activist had publicly denounced the scourge of armed groups linked to organized crime in the region, as well as the persistent harassment faced by Indigenous populations. Due to the high level of risk he faced as a result of his work, Reynaldo Pérez was enrolled in the Federal Government’s Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists; he was even equipped with a satellite phone and a panic button—both of which proved ineffective in preventing the targeted attack. Personnel from the Chiapas State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection arrived at the scene to cordon off the area, recover the body, and initiate an investigation into the crime of aggravated homicide.