On December 22, 1997, dozens of Mascara Roja paramilitaries entered a church in Acteal, Chiapas and slaughtered those praying inside. The 45 victims, members of pacifist Christian organization Las Abejas, included 15 children – the youngest being a two-month-old baby – and 21 women – four of whom were pregnant.
They were murdered because of their support for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), an indigenous rebel group which claims autonomy in the mountains and jungles of Chiapas.
Fifteen years on from the Acteal massacre, most of the perpetrators have been released from jail and any sense of justice or closure for relatives of the victims is conspicuous by its absence.
In September, Manuel Santiz Perez became the latest person convicted of participation in the atrocity to be released by Mexico’s Supreme Court. Of the 84 originally convicted, 37 were released in September 2009 when apparent violations of their legal rights came to light. Another 15 of the perpetrators were released for “good behavior” in October 2010.
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