Archbishop denies asylum request from Oaxaca protest leaders

Published: 2006-11-14

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church has denied asylum for leaders of a protest movement that has shaken the southern state of Oaxaca for five months. Oaxaca Archbishop Jose Chavez Botello said Nov. 11 that the church did not have the means or the resources to protect the activists, whose central demand is the resignation of the state's governor. "Ensuring the physical safety of these people is the responsibility of the government," Archbishop Chavez said. The movement's leaders say they are the targets of persecution by state authorities. Fearful for their lives, five prominent members spent several nights in Oaxaca City's cathedral in early November before officially asking for the church's protection. While denying the activists' requests for asylum, Archbishop Chavez pledged the church would remain neutral. "The church will never take sides in the conflict," he said. "(We have) worked to bring the principal actors together, to help relieve the tension and achieve steps toward a peaceful solution."

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