The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) attracted the investigation into the incident that occurred at kilometer 6 of the Tuxtla Gutiérrez – Chiapa de Corzo highway, Chiapas, in which 54 migrants died and another 105 were injured.
In a statement, the FGR said that “because it is a regrettable case of migrants that occurred in a federal communication channel, the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Human Rights (Femdh) will act together with the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Regional Control (Fecor), as well as as with all the technical and support staff that may be necessary, to carry out the corresponding procedures ”.
Chiapas governor Rutilio Escandón reported, after 10 o’clock yesterday night, that the official balance so far was 54 dead and 105 injured: 83 men and 22 women.
The trailer, which was illegally transporting dozens of migrants, overturned yesterday afternoon, causing the death of 49 people at the scene; Five more people died while receiving medical care.
The driver of the vehicle, who was allegedly traveling at speed, fled. At least 150 migrants were traveling in the unit, mostly from Guatemala, who had left yesterday morning from the municipality of Comitán, Chiapas, heading for Puebla.
The trailer overturning occurred after it hit a retaining wall, causing the box to detach and spin on the asphalt.
In reaction to the events, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences for the deceased.
In turn, Alejandro Giammattei, president of Guatemala, wrote on Twitter: “I deeply regret the tragedy in the state of Chiapas and I sympathize with the families of the victims to whom we offer all the necessary consular assistance including repatriations.”
Promise help
After the events, the National Migration Institute (INM) indicated that it was already coordinating efforts with other authorities to provide consular assistance, identify the bodies, cover funeral expenses and facilitate the repatriation of the remains to the countries of origin.
The “humanitarian care that will be granted to the survivors will be accommodation, food and, if they accept, Visiting Cards for Humanitarian Reasons. The INM will assist in the investigation of the events, “he said.
This incident ranks as one of the most deadly for migrants on record in Mexico.
On several occasions, NGOs have denounced that due to containment operations carried out by the Mexican government along the southern border, migrants are forced to take risky routes and even pay human traffickers to reach the United States, facts that put them in vulnerable conditions.
By national guards
CNDH determines excessive use of force vs. foreigners
The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) issued a Recommendation to the Secretariat for Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) due to the use of force by elements of the National Guard against a vehicle that transported migrants, a situation that led to in the death of one person and physical injuries in another in Jalapa, Tabasco.
“By using their firearms, the public servants responsible for the events, in addition to depriving one person of life and injuring another, caused physical and psychological suffering to the other companions, violating their right to personal integrity and dignified treatment ”, indicated the CNDH.
Likewise, the commission requested that the SSPC, in coordination with the Executive Commission for Attention to Victims, grant full reparation for the damages caused to whom by law it corresponds.
Deported, at risk
For its part, Human Rights Watch noted that the decision to reactivate the “Stay in Mexico” program will once again expose asylum seekers to risks of kidnapping, extortion, rape and other abuses.
In a statement it was stated that although the program was modified by the US administration, there is little reason to “believe that the government agencies” responsible for the implementation of this program can carry it out in a way that respects human rights. (Drafting)
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