ICC Note: A Christian community from Mexico’s village of Los Llanos was expelled in the beginning of 2010. Although last year the Christians were told by government officials that they would soon be relocated, the government has yet to assist them as promised. On October 1, representatives of this displaced community visited Mexico City, along with various religious freedom organizations, to call upon government leaders for justice in their case.
10/03/2015 Mexico (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) – Representatives of a community of Protestants displaced for over five years travelled to Mexico City on 1 October, accompanied by church leaders and religious freedom organisations, to meet with Federal Government officials and to plead for a just resolution to their case.
In 2014, State Government officials in Chiapas signed an agreement to relocate the community, who were expelled from the village of Los Llanos in early 2010, but have since taken no action to fulfill their promises.
The community of 31 men, women and children has held a permanent sit-in in the San Cristobal city plaza in Chiapas for 118 days in an effort to draw attention to their plight. Church leaders from the Alas de Águilas Church, which has given the group shelter since their displacement, told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that no one from the State Government has responded or made any effort to communicate with the group during this period.
Leaders from Impulso 18, a Mexican religious freedom organisation, and the Coordination of Christian Organisations, a Chiapas-based organisation which supports persecuted religious minorities, accompanied the Los Llanos delegation to a meeting with the director of the Federal Religious Affairs Directorate.
The group initially hoped to return to their homes following their expulsion in January 2010, which involved the destruction of their church and a physical assault on the pastor. However, they later accepted the State Government’s offer to relocate them after an attempt to return to their homes in June 2013 ended in violence and a second expulsion. Nonetheless, numerous self-imposed deadlines by State Government officials to resolve the case and relocate the group have passed without any action.
