Over 150 evangelicals, including 70 children and babies, have returned to their homes in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, after being forcibly displaced five months ago by community leaders and religious groups.

An agreement was reached between Christians and local authorities in the villages of Rancho Nuevo and Coamila in the municipality of Huejutla de Reyes, thanks to the negotiations of state and municipal officials, reported Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

The agreement restores electricity and water supplies to affected homes, while the Protestant community pledges to resume contributions to community funds, which had been suspended since 2015.

The government also agreed to end a criminal investigation against those responsible for the displacement, and to give victims time to assess their property and request state-sponsored aid programmes.

For the CSW head of advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl, “the agreement brokered by the Hidalgo State and Huejutla Municipal governments, and agreed to by the Coamila and Rancho Nuevo authorities and the displaced religious minority community, serves as an example of what can be achieved, in terms of protecting freedom of religion or belief and upholding Mexican law, when there is political will and an investment of time and other resources on the part of the government“.

According to some analysts, intolerance in those areas is influenced by the Law of Use and Customs, which allows indigenous communities to govern themselves in ways that sometimes clash with national and international human rights standards.

A prolonged conflict

Pressures on Christian minorities in this area of Mexico were not new, but intensified on 26 April, when village leaders, mainly Roman Catholics, cut off electricity, vandalised a church and blocked access to their homes.

Forcibly displaced, the group lived in precarious conditions, first in a municipal building and later in a sports complex. They relied on local churches for food and used river water for hygiene, which caused them diseases and infections.

Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry previously told the Christian Post that “traditionalist Catholics often persecute Mexican Christians“, and such persecution is similar to “clan violence“, a practice used in small rural groups that follow ancient folk religions.