CHENALHÓ — 1997 · Major Tragedy
The Acteal Massacre
On 22 December 1997, in the village of Acteal in the Chenalhó municipality of Chiapas, a right-wing paramilitary group attacked a prayer meeting of 'Las Abejas' (The Bees), a pacifist Catholic Indigenous community that supported the Zapatista movement's goals by peaceful means. In an attack lasting hours, 45 people, including pregnant women, were killed. Soldiers at a nearby military post reportedly did not intervene. Survivors and human-rights groups alleged complicity by the then ruling party and the state, and the case dragged on through contested trials for years. Through a friendly settlement before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Mexican government formally acknowledged state responsibility for the massacre for the first time in September 2020.
- Date
- 1997
- Place
- Acteal, Chiapas, Mexico, Chenalhó, MX
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 16.9640, -92.5420 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 22 December 1997A paramilitary group attacked a prayer meeting in Acteal; 45 died.
- July 2008Mexico's Supreme Court decided to reopen the case.
- July 2020The government announced twenty reparation measures.
- 2 September 2020Mexico's Interior Ministry acknowledged state responsibility.
Sources
- El Universal — Acteal: Estado mexicano ofrece disculpa pública a víctimas eluniversal.com.mx ↗
- CNN — Mexican Indian villagers accuse former president in U.S. court cnn.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Acteal massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- El Universal
- CNN
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.