Persecution in Mexico

Most people have no idea that the background on religious intolerance and persecution in Mexico is so extensive. Knowing that Mexico is principally Roman Catholic, one might just take into account the difficulties and clashes the majority church has had with the secular government. However, there have been massive expulsions in Mexico of Evangelical Christians, principally in Indigenas regiones such as Chiapas, Oaxaca, and other traditionalist or typically machista areas, Guerrero, Michoacan, Mexico state and others.

San Juan Chamula is probably the best known case of extreme violence against Evangelicals with over 40,000 expulsions fron the 80′s and 90′s. Up until a few years ago, a price was offered per head for any Evangelical turned in.  Even most Mexicans are not aware of the displaced persons’ camps set up on the outskirts of  San Cristobal de las Casas… where many died of starvation, dysentery or abuse.

 There are still regions like Las Margaritas where the rural areas are effectively closed to the Gospel… where only Roman Catholics are allowed. In 2009  several hundred evangelicals were expelled from their communities… after being dispossessed of their homes, lands, crops and animals… escaping just with their children and the clothes on their back from Nachig and other parts of Zinacantan, Huixtan Municipio, Los Llanos, El Saltillo, and armed attacks in Zapatista influenced region o townships like Agua Azul and Mitztiton. Oaxaca still has several expulsions every year… precisely because the situation is never attended to according to constitutional laws and guarantees of Releigious Freedom for all.

In the past few years, because of the fight over territory between differing regional drug cartels in the northern states, especially Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas… Evangelical churches and ministries… along with those Catholic priests who stand on Biblical principals and Mennonites in the Chihuahua region, have increasingly come under attack in the form of threats, monthly or even weekly extorsions, kidnappings to intimidate, massacres of recuperating drug addicts in Christian Rehab Centers etc. Decent young people are discouraged from going out at night for the danger of kidnappings used to force young men into the cartels force to either push drugs or work in the production or harvest. The Church or Body of Christ was not prepared for what developed and has discreetly tried to deal with the dangerous  situation, with many actually fleeing across to the USA, to the southern states, resulting in mass displacement of civilians that the Mexican government estimates to be around 235,000. Business and churches have been threatened with being bombed or set on fire, and sadly, many business actually have been destroyed when their owners refused to pay. Much of what is happening is very similar to the cartel / terrorist / paramilitary development in Colombia where VOM has ministered for decades. Ask VOM USA for information and it’s magazines on the ministry approach in Colombia itself to gain a better persepective of the situation in Mexico. And check out the VOM Canada videos  on Mexico and Colombia.

PS  There are increasing number of reports of specific cartels setting up filters into their regions, kidnapping government officials, and curfews.

Missionary Nancy Davis was killed several months ago when she and her husband tried to speed past one of these filters outside Monterrey, returning to the US. Extreme Caution is to be used in traveling in Mexico, especially by car… at night or in disputed cartel regions. The Zetas and other new groups are known for stealing cars and have no conscience about killing those they intercept.