One would think that, by geography and our well-known tradition of exporting workers north of the Rio Grande, Mexico would be one of the countries most concerned about the care of the Human Rights of those who leave their place of origin; however, in recent years we hear more and more news of mass deaths of migrants In our country.
This is not the time to take out the classic saying —”street lamp…”—but it is certainly difficult to know that, while we fight for the paisanos who live in the United Statesthe governments of Mexico always they turn the other way ante mass deaths of migrants within our borders.
who pass by Mexico in search of the “American Dream” have to Survive a Ridiculous Accumulation of Risks.
We know of the clashes with the organized crimewho are victims of Common crime or difficulties to get food, water, or medical care. To that, add the clashes with a government that arrests about 800 migrants every day.
Not everyone makes it to the news, so —to remember— worth doing a recount some horror stories in Mexico; cases mass deaths of migrants that, in the middle of the journey, ended up being ignored.
The truck from Chiapas
One of the tragedies of mass deaths of migrants What we remember the most is what happened in Chiapaswhen overturned a truck in December 2021.
That afternoon 55 Central American migrants died after the bed of the truck they were traveling in overturned more than 100 people hiddenby Chiapa de Corzo-Tuxtla Gutiérrez highway, in Chiapas. The accident is believed to have been caused by a mechanical failure.
This has not been the only fatal case of some truck in chiapassince the story is practically identical to what happened in 2019. On that occasion there was a mass death of 25 migrants when they overturned and the people flew out of the box.
The same Are you beginning to notice a pattern? also happened in 2022 when they died again 4 migrants and dozens injured. Also in Chiapas. Also when migrants traveled in the box of a truck. And of course, we are also left wanting a response from the authorities.
Mass deaths of migrants in Tamaulipas
In addition to transportation, people traveling through Mexico have to coping with violence and insecurity; when acting of organized crime.
In 2021people found out about the horrible case of a charred truck in the municipality of Camargoin Tamaulipas. On board the damaged vehicle they found 19 charred remains of migrants from Guatemala. The van they were traveling in belonged to the National Institute of Migration (INM) belonging to Governorate.
This case reminded us that we have spent almost 15 years of unstoppable violence in Mexico, as it is quite similar to the terrible history of the 2010 San Fernando massacre when 72 migrants were killed.
The official version of that San Fernando massacrealso in Tamaulipaspoints to that The Zetas they killed by the back to the migrants and left them abandoned. The victims, as in many of these cases, were people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador.
Taking advantage of historical memory, we have to talk about another lesser-known case, but just as atrocious: the Cadereyta massacre in 2012when they met 49 mutilated bodies in Nuevo León. The vast majority of the victims were migrants from Central America.
The fire in the INM prison
In March 2022 news shocked Mexico, as a fire in a “shelter” -so I say AMLO- managed by the National Institute of Migration (INM).
Actually, this fire happened in a detention center in Juarez City, after an operation to arrest people. Things became more worrying at dawn when, after some complaints, a fire started. officially died 39 migrants.
Worst of all: in a video that was leaked to the press, you can see that they locked up the migrants and did not let them out while the flames engulfed the place.
crime against migrants
Another of the serious problems that the migrants in are the clashes with crime. According to official data from the Ministry of the Interiorin 2022reported more than 1,136 crimes.
And be very careful, that here the key word is “reported”, Well, how many more will have been victims without approaching the authorities? —for fear of being deported.
But hey, according to the study, the 65% of migrants reported that it was robbery victim. He too 33% said they were a victim of trafficking. The complaints also include attempted murder, sexual abuse, extortion, bribery, and assault.
