Marciano Martínez Cruz, coordinator of the Movimiento de Unificación y Lucha Triqui (MULT) and Rafael Cisneros Hernandez were shot dead on Saturday 07 January 2017 in Putla, a municipality located in Sierra Sur, Oaxaca.

According to the security sources, the double homicides occurred in the afternoon as the two members of the indigenous community were travelling on board their white van and were ambushed and shot dead by unknown gunmen. The attack took place 134 kilometres from the  El Chorrito stop in Putla region.

The second person murdered was identified as 35 year old Rafael Hernández Cisneros. These deaths brought to six the number of community leaders killed in a single day. Following those killings, a group of the community members started a sit-in  in front of the government palace the following night in Oaxaca City. Community leaders called on the Governor of the State and the State Prosecutor to carry out a full and independent investigation into the killings and to bring the perpetrators to justice.