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DESCRIPTION
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Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico. Since
1994, the leftist Zapatista
paramilitary group has used Chiapas as a base for its anti-government
activities. Many indigenous Chiapans are descended from the Maya and are
largely marginalized by the government. Catholicism in the region is blended
heavily with traditions from indigenous religions.
Category: Hostile Nation
Religion: Folk Catholicism 64.5%, Christian (evangelical)
21.9%
Ideology: Mixture of folk Catholic syncretism and liberation
theology
Head of State: Governor Juan José Sabines Guerrero
Evangelicals in Chiapas
face prejudice, harassment and expulsion from their villages, as well as
attacks against their churches and private property. Opposition to
evangelicals is mostly due to their refusal to participate in syncretistic
community religious events that involve pagan rituals and heavy drinking.
Evangelicals are considered a threat to local political and religious
leaders’ control. VOM provided support to a group of displaced Chiapan
Christians.
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