The National Guard argued its officers fired on the vehicle transporting undocumented migrants because it “put their lives at imminent risk”.
On Sunday, Mexico’s National Guard shot a pick-up truck that attempted to avoid a checkpoint in the state of Chiapas. As a consequence of this action, a Cuban migrant died from gunshot wounds.
Related
Local authorities said that the driver ignored an order to stop. The officers opened fire against the vehicle, which stopped a few meters away. Four Cuban migrants were wounded and transported to a nearby hospital. The rest of the undocumented migrants were handed over to authorities. Prosecutors detained the driver.
The National Guard argued that its officers fired on the vehicle because it “put their lives at imminent risk”. The officers believe that the driver “tried to ram” them.
The State Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation on murder charges against those responsible for the death of the Cuban migrant. Prosecution officers went to the scene of the incident and requested the armaments and equipment of the officers involved.
The Migrant Caravan for Justice, Dignity & Freedom is traveling through harsh weather conditions including heavy rain & extreme heat in Ulapa & Mapastepec, #Chiapas. The caravan made up mostly of Central Americans & Haitians is traveling north to Mexico City.❤️��: Isabel Mateos pic.twitter.com/3zd6UTf8UV
— Voices in Movement (@VIM_Media) October 31, 2021
“The deployment of the National Guard in the Mexican south border has resulted in systematic human rights violations against migrants” the Human Rights Observation and Monitoring Collective said.
Mexico is experiencing a migrant crisis as thousands of Latin-Americans are crossing the southern border trying to reach the U.S. Given that the asylum process at the U.S. border is inefficient and incapable of handling current cases, people have been waiting in harsh conditions on the Mexican side of the border.
Although it is not common, fatal events between law enforcement and migrants have happened in the past. In the state of Tamaulipas, a dozen of law enforcement officials are currently on trial for allegedly killing at least 19 migrants, burning their bodies, and throwing them near the U.S. border in January.
Mexico detains 30 military men accused of forced disappearances. pic.twitter.com/yUMmfbYcQw
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 13, 2021