With an estimated 95% of Mexico’s population identifying as Christian, it might be surprising to learn that the country ranks #31 on the World Watch List for Christian persecution. In Chiapas, a southern state home to over 5 million people, indigenous believers face some of the most extreme persecution in the nation.
What makes Chiapas so dangerous for Christians?
Targeted by Drug Cartels and Criminal Groups
Chiapas is a key hub for drug cartels and human trafficking networks, making it one of the most dangerous places for believers. These criminal organizations use extreme violence to control indigenous communities, taking hostages and pitting tribal authorities against each other to secure trafficking routes.
Christians in these areas are seen as a threat to the cartel’s power. Any form of evangelism, community outreach, or refusal to comply with criminal demands puts believers—and their families—at risk.
At the hands of these criminal groups, Christian believers suffer:
✔ Kidnappings & Ransoms – Christians are taken hostage to silence their faith.
✔ Beatings & Executions – Many are brutally attacked or killed for resisting cartel rule.
✔ Church Intimidation – Worship services and gatherings are often targeted.
Persecution in Indigenous Tribal Communities
While Mexico is predominantly Catholic, many indigenous communities blend Catholicism with animistic tribal beliefs—particularly during Day of the Dead rituals. These practices involve:
- Appeasing spirits of the deceased with offerings of food, flowers, and candles.
- Seeking witch doctors (“curanderos”) to heal illnesses attributed to restless spirits.
For indigenous Christians, rejecting these traditions is seen as dishonoring their ancestors and inviting evil spirits into their families. As a result, new believers face:
✔ Death threats for refusing to take part in traditional rituals.
✔ Beatings & violence for refusing to consult with witch doctors.
✔ Expulsion from their villages for converting to Christianity.
Gustavo’s Story: Beaten & Banned for His Faith
One man, Gustavo, faced violent persecution simply for listening to a Christian children’s program in his remote Chiapas village. As he and others engaged with Bible stories, village elders issued a loudspeaker warning, condemning the Christian visitors and urging locals to attack them.
The Christians fled, but Gustavo and others who had welcomed them were gathered in the town square, stoned, and expelled from the village.
Homeless and wounded, Gustavo had nowhere to go—until visiting Christians rescued him and provided an audio Bible in his native language of Tojolabal.
We have heard wonders about God that we had not heard before, but with these audio Bibles that have come into our lives, they have changed our lives,” Gustavo shares. “Our souls have been edified.
Hope in the Face of Persecution
Between drug cartel violence and tribal traditions, indigenous Christians in Mexico are under the constant threat of persecution—yet they continue to stand firm in their faith. Through the work of the Church and access to God’s Word through audio Bibles, believers like Gustavo are finding strength, hope, and resilience.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we come before you with heavy hearts for our brothers and sisters in Chiapas, Mexico who are suffering for their faith. You see their pain and struggles and their unwavering commitment to follow you despite persecution. Strengthen them in their faith, protect them from harm, and fill them with Your peace. May they find refuge under your wings and courage through the promises found in your Word. Move in the hearts of those who seek to harm our Christian brothers and sisters in Chiapas—soften them with Your love and turn them toward Your truth. Amen.
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