Cristino Castro Perea was murdered in Barra de la Cruz. Photo: Cedhapi
Barra de la Cruz is known for its natural beauty, both in and out of the water. The tranquil Oaxacan town has both firing surf and vital ecosystems that have garnered attention from around the world. However, that tranquility was shattered recently, with the murder of an activist who dedicated himself to protecting that beauty.
“We are mourning the loss of Cristino Castro Perea, a coastal defender from Barra de la Cruz, Oaxaca,” wrote Serge Dedina, executive director of the non-profit environmental organization Wildcoast. “[He was] murdered for his strong defense of one of the world’s most important leatherback sea turtle nesting beaches, a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance and National Sea Turtle Reserve. (It is also) a globally known surf sport, renowned for its perfect waves.”
The incident occurred on February 28, around 6:00 p.m., according a press release by the Mexican indigenous rights NGO Cedhapi. Perea was at a kiosk in the community of Barra de la Cruz, when two people arrived on a motorcycle and fired several shots, killing him.
Cedhapi went on to describe a conflict they say has been going since 2013, when developers began attempting to develop beachfront properties in the area. In 2022, a group of people with construction equipment arrived to destroy the mangroves in an area known as “El Nanche.” Eventually, former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared Barra de la Cruz a Natural Protected Area, after a lengthy campaign by Wildcoast and the federal agency CONANP.
Cedhapi chairman Maurilio Santiago Reyes added that an investigation into the murder has already begun. Furthermore, he requested that state and federal governments lend aid in guaranteeing the safety of the members of Perea’s organization, the Collective of Environmental Defenders of Barra de la Cruz.
Perea was a beloved figure in the region. According to reports, he was also a gifted baseball player in his youth and was the manager of a team in Barra de la Cruz. It’s a dangerous time to be an activist in Mexico. In 2022, the New York Times reported that at least 54 land or environmental activists had been killed in the year prior. That number has certainly risen since.
