@Pozol
On February 24th, a confrontation took place in the main square of Las Margaritas, which ended with two people dead and several injured. This, residents of this municipality say, was just one more example of the growing violence that has co-opted the state and that is spreading more and more visibly throughout the territory.
Due to this context, churches of different religious denominations convened the “Pilgrimage for Peace, for Life, against Violence and Discrimination” that took place on Sunday, March 20th, in the municipal seat of Margaritas.
Hundreds of people gathered and walked the streets of this municipality carrying flowers and white balloons and singing songs and slogans calling for peace and unity among the peoples.
The pilgrimage ended in the central park in front of the Parish of Santa Margarita de Antioquia. A ceremony was held there in which they read a statement and announced the creation of the “Alliance of Churches for Peace”, which, they mention , arose from the need to walk and work together for the common good and to restore calm in the municipality. Until that moment, the Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Adventist churches had managed to unite and called on others to join the cause.
“Today after one month, shaken by the violence that has been experienced, and wanting to overcome fear, we have decided to leave and from our faith, begin to unite around the God of life, in his project of love and respect, we unite our voices in search of unity, peace and harmony in our municipality.”
“In the midst of the serious deterioration that our entire state of Chiapas is now experiencing, manifested in expressions of great insecurity and that has brought many deaths. Now from this corner of the border plagued by so much violence caused by confrontation between groups. We express our concern about the realities that people suffer and live, in which it seems that life has lost meaning.”
“To the different authorities, we invite you to favor conditions for meeting, dialogue in such a diverse people, listening and attending to everyone equally, seeking attention to urgent situations, health, insecurity, water, etc. We want a community, a neighborhood and a town without violence, alcohol and drugs that generate violence in the person, the family and society. We invite you to overcome formalisms and protocols, sometimes perhaps unnecessary to improve care and thus rebuild society.”
For more information in Spanish:
Parroquia de Santa Margarita de Antioquia (Frayba 20 de marzo de 2022)
Las Margaritas, Chiapas: «voces en busca de la unidad, la paz y la armonía», peregrinaron ante ola de violencia (Pozol 20 de marzo de 2022)
Las Margaritas peregrina por la paz y justicia (Chiapas paralelo 20 de marzo de 2022)
Peregrinación en las Margaritas, para buscar la paz en el municipio (Heraldo de Chiapas 21 de marzo de 2022)
For more information from SIPAZ:
sipazen.wordpress.com 