To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on freedom of religion or belief of the case of six Protestant Christian families in El Encanto village, Las Margaritas Municipality, Chiapas Mexico, who had their electricity cut off on 27 July 2020 because they refused to sign an agreement which obliged them to participate in religious activities associated with the Catholic religion and to help with the upkeep of the local Catholic church building.
This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.
Answered on
21 September 2020
We are aware of reports of the removal of some Mexican Protestants' access to water, electricity, and other basic services in Mexico, and have raised this specific case with the Mexican authorities. The overall assessment by the Mexican Government, the local UN Human Rights office, and local civil society organisations is that, while there are some cases of individuals being targeted because of their religion or beliefs, people are more often targeted for their work and activities in defence of human rights or because of religious intolerance between faith groups in Mexico. We will continue to raise our concerns when we become aware of such cases. The UK Government continues to engage regularly with Mexican authorities at ministerial, official, and state level to discuss human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief, and to support a broad human rights agenda in Mexico.