Religious Persecution in Mexico: Indigenous Christians Expelled

Last updated: 1 October 2026

Photo: México - Pilar Sáenz

In Chiapas and Oaxaca, indigenous families who convert to evangelical churches are expelled from their villages. Indigenous Christian converts — particularly evangelical Protestants — in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, and Guerrero have faced systematic expulsion from their communities, denial of services, destruction of property, beatings, and in some cases killings. Furthermore, the persecution occurs not through state action but through the intersection of indigenous community governance (Usos y Costumbres) and traditional syncretic Catholic practices. As a result, the state often fails to intervene, deferring to indigenous community autonomy. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) and Open Doors document hundreds of incidents annually. This article examines the patterns and asylum implications.[1]

For context, see Mexico human rights report.

The Mexican Religious Landscape

Mexico is approximately 78% Catholic, 11% evangelical Protestant, with the remaining 11% representing other religions, no affiliation, or syncretic indigenous practices. Furthermore, the evangelical Protestant share has grown significantly since the 1980s, particularly in southern states. The growth has produced tension with traditional Catholic-syncretic practices in indigenous communities. As a result, religious persecution targets evangelical Protestants who convert from traditional practices — not Catholic Mexicans. Therefore, the persecution is intra-indigenous rather than against indigenous people generally; converted indigenous Christians are the principal victims.[2]

The Usos y Costumbres Framework

Usos y Costumbres ("customs and practices") is the constitutionally-recognised framework allowing indigenous communities to govern themselves according to traditional norms. Article 2 of the Mexican Constitution recognises indigenous autonomy. Furthermore, in Oaxaca, 417 of 570 municipalities are governed by Usos y Costumbres. The system has positive functions — preserving indigenous culture and language — but in some communities has produced abuses against religious minorities. Specifically, requiring all community members to participate financially in traditional Catholic-syncretic religious festivals creates an impossible choice for converts. As a result, refusal to participate can lead to expulsion, denial of community services, destruction of property, and physical violence.[3]

Patterns of Persecution

Documented patterns of religious persecution include: (1) Forced participation in traditional festivals — refusal results in fines; (2) Cutoff of services — water, electricity, garbage collection denied to families; (3) Property destruction — homes burned, possessions confiscated; (4) Physical assault — beatings, especially of pastors; (5) Expulsion — families forced to leave the community; (6) Denial of education — children excluded from school; (7) Denial of cemetery rights — Christians unable to bury their dead in community cemeteries; (8) Killings — though rare, documented cases exist. Furthermore, the persecution is enforced by community leaders, often with the explicit endorsement of the Catholic-aligned majority. As a result, the persecution is communal not individual.[4]

Chiapas: The Most Affected State

Chiapas has the largest indigenous Christian population and the most documented persecution. The pattern dates back to the 1970s when expelled Tzotzil evangelical families established new communities on the outskirts of San Cristóbal de las Casas. The Mexican Council of Evangelical Pentecostal Churches estimates tens of thousands of indigenous evangelicals have been expelled from their original communities over the decades. Furthermore, contemporary cases continue: in 2024 and 2025, CSW documented additional expulsions in Chiapas communities. As a result, Chiapas serves as the central case study for Mexican religious persecution. Therefore, asylum claims from indigenous Christian converts from Chiapas have particularly strong country evidence.[5]

"Indigenous Christians in southern Mexico face systematic discrimination, expulsion, and violence — often with state agencies failing to intervene in deference to indigenous community autonomy."Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Mexico Report 2024

State Response: Inadequate

Mexican state response to religious persecution has been inadequate. (1) Federal authorities defer to state authorities. (2) State authorities defer to indigenous community autonomy. (3) The Federal Law on Religious Associations and Public Worship (1992) recognises religious freedom but is unevenly enforced. (4) The Constitution's Article 24 protects freedom of religion but conflicts with Article 2 indigenous autonomy. Furthermore, the Subsecretariat for Religious Affairs (within the Interior Ministry) has only limited capacity. As a result, the state failure is not active persecution but failure to protect — meeting the asylum standard for non-state persecution where state protection is insufficient. Therefore, the Horvath test for state protection sufficiency is not met.[6]

Asylum Implications

Mexican indigenous Christian asylum claims invoke multiple Convention grounds: religion (most directly); race/nationality (where the indigenous identity itself is part of the persecution); particular social group ("indigenous converts to Christianity"); imputed political opinion (refusal to participate in communal religious-political activities). Furthermore, internal relocation arguments may apply but typically fail because: (1) the converts may face similar pressures in nearby indigenous communities; (2) urban relocation requires economic resources and exposes them to cartel and other risks; (3) family separation is a consequence. As a result, well-evidenced claims are typically successful.[7]

Other Religious Persecution

Beyond indigenous Christian persecution, Mexico shows some other religious persecution dimensions. Cartels target priests — particularly those who oppose cartel activity. Several priests have been killed (e.g., Jesuit priests Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora in 2022). Furthermore, the targeting of religious leaders is part of the broader cartel violence rather than religious persecution per se — but it intersects with religious freedom. As a result, claims by Catholic clergy who have opposed cartels are also asylum-relevant, though framed differently from indigenous convert claims. Therefore, the religious dimensions of Mexican human rights are broader than the indigenous convert pattern alone.[8]

Conclusion: An Underrecognised Pattern

Religious persecution in Mexico — particularly of indigenous Christian converts — is an underrecognised but well-documented pattern. The intersection of Usos y Costumbres autonomy and Catholic-syncretic majority practices produces real persecution against converts. Furthermore, the state's failure to intervene in deference to indigenous autonomy creates the protection gap that triggers refugee law analysis. As a result, indigenous Christian asylum claims should be advanced with multi-strand evidence and careful country-expert engagement. Therefore, decision-makers should engage seriously with this category rather than dismissing it as a domestic dispute.