MEXICO: GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DISPLACE 150 BAPTISTS

 

One hundred and fifty members of the Great Commission Baptist Church in Hidalgo state, Mexico, were forcibly displaced from their communities by government officials. According to sources, these same officials are applying pressure on the church’s leaders and their members to sign an agreement that would impose fines on the victims, ban several families from returning, and place other families under severe restrictions.

 

Pastor Rogelio Hernandez Baltazar has stated that the families will not accept such an agreement that blatantly violates their human right to freedom of religion and belief.

 

Since the end of April, the 150 individuals, including 75 children and infants, have been at the mercy of those who are willing and able to provide assistance. Initially, the municipal government offered them temporary shelter and essential supplies. Once that aid dried up, local churches have jumped in to provide humanitarian aid.

 

At the center of the problem lies the fact that local authorities want the religious minority to adhere to and participate in the local Roman Catholic festivals, financials donations and worship.

 

An increase in incidents of religious intolerance and human rights violations connected to the freedom to choose for oneself how to worship God have been reported in nearby villages since 2015.

 

Sadly, similar “agreements” like the one Hidalgo authorities have been trying to force upon the displaced Baptists are often used in Mexico to enforce religious uniformity.