Back

LatinNews Daily - 13 December 2021

Click here for printer friendly version
Click here for full report

MEXICO: Migrants clash with security forces in CDMX

On 12 December, migrants clashed with security forces on the outskirts of Mexico City (CDMX). The migrants had set off in a caravan from Tapachula, a town on the border with Guatemala in the southern state of Chiapas, 50 days earlier. 

Analysis: 

The clash comes at a time when President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government is under increased scrutiny for its treatment of migrants, following a fatal road accident that killed over 50 migrants in Chiapas state and the recent resumption of the controversial migrant protection protocol (MPP), also known as the ‘Remain in Mexico’ programme. 

  • The migrant caravan was attempting to reach the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a popular pilgrimage site. After the clash, buses were provided to take the migrants to the Basilica as a result of negotiations between city authorities and Mexico City’s commission of human rights (CDHCMX).
  • CDHCMX president, Nashieli Ramírez, said there would be an investigation into who gave the order to carry out the “lamentable” operation on the outskirts of the city. 
  • Security forces met migrants on arrival to CDMX. The government said it had been in “the process of informing and negotiating” with the migrants when a group attacked police. Officers then used riot shields to prevent migrants from progressing into the city. According to the CDMX government, 17 people were injured in the clash – 13 police officers and four migrants. 
  • The clash comes when the protection of migrant rights in Mexico is under scrutiny, as the recent migrant truck crash drew headlines around the world. On 10 December, the governments of Mexico, the US, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic formed a working group to identify those responsible for trafficking the migrants. 
  • In his 11 December press conference, López Obrador asked the US government to “respect Mexican migrants, migrants in general”, in a possible bid to divert criticism from his own government over the treatment of migrants.  

Looking Ahead: The arrival of the caravan to CDMX days after the fatal crash shows that migrants will continue to risk their lives to make the journey north. The response of security forces suggests migrant rights continue to play second fiddle to stemming migration flows.

LatinNews
Intelligence Research Ltd.
167-169 Great Portland Street,
5th floor,
London, W1W 5PF - UK
Phone : +44 (0) 203 695 2790
Contact
You may contact us via our online contact form
Copyright © 2022 Intelligence Research Ltd. All rights reserved.