Chiapas: Couple lynched and burned alive over witchcraft accusations

A man and a woman of Maya Tseltal origin were lynched and burned alive in the community of Las Tacitas, located in the Ocosingo municipality of Chiapas, Mexico. The attack occurred on the night of Tuesday, September 22, after local residents accused the couple of practicing witchcraft.

According to testimonies, a group of inhabitants detained the victims and moved them to the community's main plaza or dome. There, they were subjected to physical and verbal abuse for several hours before being doused with fuel and set on fire. Videos circulating on social media show the victims engulfed in flames while being watched by a crowd.

The bodies were later abandoned near a road on the outskirts of the community. The Chiapas State Attorney General's Office, through the Indigenous Justice Prosecutor's Office, has opened an investigation to identify those responsible. Floralma Gómez Santos, the District Indigenous Prosecutor, confirmed that authorities are in communication with the victims' families to establish responsibilities.

The State Human Rights Commission of Chiapas has also opened an official complaint regarding the incident, emphasizing that community rumors or beliefs cannot justify violence, torture, or the arbitrary deprivation of life.