Thousands of migrants blocked a stretch of road in Chiapas to demand that immigration authorities provide safe passage to enter the center of the country and continue their journey to the northern border of Mexico with the United States.
For 48 hours, migrants from various countries in Central America, South America, the Caribbean and even Africa have maintained a blockade of the Pan-American highway near the Huixtla Border Transit Comprehensive Assistance Center (CAITF), a customs and immigration center.
Long lines of private cars and cargo trucks have been waiting for two days to be able to pass in both lanes. Some desperate drivers have verbally clashed with the migrants, who remain camping on the asphalt in protest to be attended to by officials from the National Migration Institute. (INM).
Under the downpours and high temperatures of this tropical region of Soconusco in Chiapas, the migrants set up their tents and gathered to demand that their demand for free transit to the interior of the country be met.
Irineo Mujica Morga, from the organization Pueblos Sin Fronteras, said today that “the migrants in the camp are in danger, since the INM has refused to receive them to try to resolve the situation.”
He said that “at night the truckers have arrived with sticks and baseball bats to terrorize the migrant community, especially women and children.”
Mujica pointed out that the stranded truck drivers have threatened to attack them with the trucks if they do not get out of the way. Faced with this tension, members of the National Guard have had to intervene and mediate the friction between migrants and the drivers of the cargo trucks.
The activist explained that they have found support in their efforts from the National Guard and a visitor from the National Human Rights Commission, but it is with the INM officials that they have no place until now.
“They are closed and thirsty for blood, they need someone to die to provide attention or receive requests from the migrant community. It is really cruel due to negligence and lack of humanity,” Mujica said.
It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 migrants who left Tapachula since last week and after walking more than 50 kilometers, they were left stranded at this point.
Source: Proceso
