A gaggle of two dozen Democratic House members wrote to President Biden this week, urging his administration to help the Mexican government in bringing to justice the person allegedly chargeable for the murder of two Jesuit priests and a neighborhood tour guide in Chihuahua, Mexico, in June.
“This tragedy is emblematic of the rampant violence that plagues many regions of Mexico and takes a devastating humanitarian toll on the Mexican people,” the lawmakers wrote. “We write to induce your administration to work closely with the Mexican government to make sure prompt and full justice for these killings and to encourage the implementation of policies to finish the cycle of violence.”
“We write to induce your administration to work closely with the Mexican government to make sure prompt and full justice for these killings and to encourage the implementation of policies to finish the cycle of violence.”
The 2 priests, Javier Campos, 79, and Joaquin Mora, 80, were murdered on June 20 after discovering contained in the church a neighborhood tour guide, Pedro Palma, bleeding from gunshot wounds. Reports say that one among the priests began anointing Mr. Palma, when the suspected gunman shot him and the second priest. A 3rd priest arrived, reported The Guardian, who listened to the suspect’s confession before he fled with the three bodies. The bodies were found days later.
The church is situated in a region of Mexico suffering violence related to the illegal drug trade. Police say the suspect within the killings is José Noriel Portillo Gil, who’s already wanted in the murder of a U.S. tourist in 2018.
[Related: The Jesuit priests killed in Mexico were more than just names in a headline]
Within the letter to President Biden, the members of Congress pointed to the unique threats facing clergy in Mexico.
“Members of the clergy are particularly vulnerable to violence because they serve disadvantaged communities where organized crime is most prevalent,” the lawmakers wrote. “Additionally they act as peacemakers, mediating disputes between gangs in regions with minimal government presence.”
“By increasing our efforts to handle the crisis of violence afflicting our Mexican neighbors, we are going to honor the legacies of Fathers Campos and Mora and all those lost to this senseless bloodshed.”
Violence by the hands of drug cartels has roiled rural Mexico lately, which the lawmakers highlighted of their letter. Last yr, the letter states, there have been greater than 33,000 recorded homicides in Mexico, up from about 16,000 in 2014.
Essentially the most recent murders of the 2 priests drew condemnation from the Jesuits and Pope Francis and is just the newest homicide involving Catholic clergy in Mexico. In accordance with church sources, greater than 30 priests have been killed there since 2012, most of which remain open cases.
Catholic leaders in Mexico have renewed their calls for the federal government to do more to combat the violence, raising the ire of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The members of Congress asked the Biden administration to assist with problems brought on by corruption and an absence of resources for law enforcement.
“We urge your administration to deepen cooperation with the Mexican government and civil society groups to root out corruption, increase the investigative capability of Mexican law enforcement, and strengthen the independence of prosecutors and judges in Mexico,” the letter states. “By increasing our efforts to handle the crisis of violence afflicting our Mexican neighbors, we are going to honor the legacies of Fathers Campos and Mora and all those lost to this senseless bloodshed.”
