Three Children Die After Eating Poisoned Bread Intended to Kill Stray Animals in Chiapas

Three children died after eating poisoned bread intended to kill stray animals in Chiapas—Mexico's southernmost state—on Friday, February 14. Two local officials have been detained in connection to their deaths.

In an interview with local news outlets, the victims' mother, Marcelina Perez, explained they were visiting relatives of the San Cayetano ejido, an autonomous indigenous community. Perez gave her children money and sent them to a nearby store to buy candy. Minutes later, she was told her kids (2, 5, and 6 years old) were found fainted near the store.

"I found them and picked them up, I did everything I could," she said. "They told me to give them milk and lime so that they would vomit, and we did that, but they died in the ambulance."

Initial reports indicate the children possibly ate poisoned bread placed intentionally throughout the ejido streets under the direction of local officials—a measure reportedly used to control the stray dog population in the area. One of the children made it to the clinic alive, per Infobae, but was declared dead shortly after arrival.

Based on forensic reports, it was determined that the cause of death of the three children was "multiple organ failure due to poisoning."

After two days of investigation, authorities detained two ejido officials identified as Martín "N" and Bartolo "N." "We are investigating whether they were the ones who agreed to place poison to kill animals, which accidentally led to the children ingesting it," the prosecutor told reporters.

Images of the funeral and the children's bodies wrapped in white cloth are circulating online. Human rights advocates have condemned the tragedy, calling it a stark reflection of the extreme poverty and lack of public health and education in these communities.

Year after year, Chiapas remains the poorest state in Mexico. According to Statista, in 2022, two out of every three people in Chiapas lived below the poverty line, making it the federal entity with the highest percentage of people in poverty. By comparison, about 36% of Mexico's overall population lived in poverty that year.