Father
Samuel Ruiz García helped defend the rights of over 40,000 indigenous Mexicans
while serving as a Bishop in the Chiapas region of Mexico between 1959 and 1999.
He received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award ('pacem in terris' is
Latin for 'peace on Earth') and UNESCO's Simon Bolivar International Prize for
his efforts to resolve conflicts between the Mexican government and the Zapatista
National Liberation Army, and for advocating for poor and indigenous Mexicans.
He also received the 1997 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders for his
"courageous and innovative approaches to combat human rights violations" despite
the constant harassments and threats to his own life.
Father
Samuel Ruiz was able to bring international attention to the plight of the indigenous
people in Chiapas because of his dedication for decades. After stepping down as
Bishop in 1999, because of mandatory retirement rules, Father Ruiz continued to
advocate for poor and indigenous peoples in Mexico and Latin America, speaking
out against poverty and human rights abuses and for debt-cancellation.
