Washington, Mar 31 (EFE).- Community and religious leaders, officials and activists from El Paso (Texas) gathered today in a demonstration in honor of 39 people who died from the fire in Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) of a migrant shelter , and in which they demanded justice.
The protesters demanded from the Mexican government an investigation into the circumstances of the fire in the shelter managed by the Mexican authorities, and of which about 30 were injured, ten seriously.
The day called “You are not alone” led by the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) is also “a protest against inhumane immigration policies and the treatment of migrants in the United States and Mexico, the organizers said in a statement.
The protesters, carrying flags, wooden crosses and banners, observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the fire. An activist read out the names, nationalities and ages of those killed in the fire, and attendees chanted “Justice!” after each name.
The protesters gathered this afternoon in front of the entrance of the Paso del Norte International Bridge that connects El Paso with Ciudad Juárez on the other side of the Rio Grande that marks the border between Mexico and the United States.
BNHR demanded that the government of President Andrés Manuel López cease “immigration raids, persecution and attacks against migrants and refugees throughout Mexico and especially in border communities.”
In that sense, Fernando García, executive director of BNHR, said that “the lack of accountability within the agencies in charge of enforcing the law in Mexico has further perpetuated a culture of impunity that knows no limits.”
“We demand immediate action from the Mexican government to address the myriad human and civil rights violations taking place within its law enforcement agencies,” he added.
Likewise, the activists asked that the government of President Joe Biden “respect and restore asylum at the border through humanitarian policies, beginning with the opening of a headquarters for those seeking asylum and refugees expelled and deported to Mexico.”
