“How did I live through that terrible night? It was only through the grace of God.”

Despite being a majority Christian country, persecution is still a problem. Mexico is one of the most unequal societies in the world. This inequality has driven many people to become involved in organised crime. In many places, gangs or cartels wield power over officials and institutions including the Church. The extortion, and even sometimes murder, of priests, pastors and Christian business owners is commonplace. Attending church services increases the threat of kidnapping, and youths are particularly at risk of being recruited into gangs. Drug rehabilitation programmes, or youth work, are perceived as being a direct threat to the interest of drug cartels. Christians involved in drug rehabilitation programmes are targeted and persecuted.

Open Doors works in Mexico through providing effective advocacy to address the root causes of persecution at the local, federal and regional levels; through projects that increase the resilience of the Church to cope with persecution; and through church mobilisation.