Homes, Fields and a Church Destroyed: Evangelical Families in Oaxaca Face Expulsion From Their Land

• Evangelical families in San Isidro Arenal, Oaxaca, lost homes, cacao and mango fields and a church building
• At least 13 Protestant families faced threats and violence
• Three families had already been expelled in December 2023
• A 1993 community accord declared Roman Catholicism the only permitted religion

Protestant families in San Isidro Arenal, in the San Juan Lalana municipality of Oaxaca, Mexico, have lost homes, farmland and a church building and face expulsion from their community, Christian Daily International reported on August 26, 2024.

On August 6, more than 300 villagers destroyed evangelical properties, including cacao and mango fields, homes and a church building in the Cerro Cajón area. At least 13 families belonging to the Interdenominational Christian Church were threatened, and three families had already been expelled in December 2023. On August 21, while Protestants were meeting officials, homes were looted and destroyed.

Oaxaca State Secretary of Government Jesús Romero López announced the expulsion decision on August 20. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, “members of the community blocked the entrances to San Isidro Arenal, preventing anyone else from entering.” The dispute traces back to a 1993 community accord declaring Roman Catholicism the only permitted religion, which began to be enforced in November 2023.

For the families, losing their faith community also meant losing the land and homes that supported them.

Jamaica’s constitution protects freedom of religion, and Oaxaca’s situation is very different. But the story shows how closely housing, farmland and church buildings are tied together in rural communities. In Jamaica, too, many rural families farm land held under customary or family arrangements rather than registered title. Registering land and documenting ownership gives families and churches the strongest protection if their right to stay is ever challenged.

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