Tzeltal man killed in U.S. crash buried in Ocosingo

José Jiménez Alfonzo returned to El Guanal in a coffin after leaving the Tzeltal community three years earlier to look for work in the United States. The 46-year-old construction worker died in Florida after a car struck him while he was riding his bicycle through a pedestrian crossing.

The crash occurred around 11 p.m. on Aug. 8, according to his relatives. They said Jiménez had gone out alone to buy something and had no documents with him. The driver, who was traveling at excessive speed and did not notice him, fled the scene but was later arrested.

Jiménez was taken to a hospital and underwent brain surgery and other procedures. His relatives did not initially know where he was. He remained in a coma and died three days after the crash from the severity of his injuries.

His family said he had sent part of his wages from Florida to relatives who stayed in El Guanal, in the Amador Hernández area of the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. They received assistance from the Mexican consulate during the difficult repatriation process. The coffin arrived in Tuxtla Gutiérrez by plane on Friday, then traveled by road to Ocosingo and on to the community, a journey of six hours.

Family members, friends and neighbors waited for him there. The vigil lasted through the night, accompanied by music and traditional prayers. Jiménez had taken part in the 1994 Zapatista uprising as a 15-year-old and later played music in groups that participated in the Aguascalientes, now known as Caracoles.