President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the Army filed a complaint against the soldiers involved in the murder of six migrants that occurred this week in Chiapasin a case that has once again called into question the intervention of the Armed Forces in public security tasks in our country.
Among the deceased are three from Egypt, one from Peru, another from Honduras and another who has not yet been identified. Authorities have not revealed the ages of the dead, but Among the victims are two Egyptian sisters, ages 11 and 18.two agents, one Federal and the other State, informed the media, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make statements about the case.
During his morning conference, Sheinbaum indicated that the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) “filed a complaint against the elements who fired,” but did not offer details.
What is known is that two soldiers who were allegedly part of the military patrol that last Tuesday shot at a van carrying dozens of migrants in the town of Villa Comaltitlán, in the south of Chiapas, are being investigated in this case.
The soldiers were removed from their positions and are at the disposal of the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic.
While regretting the incident, Sheinbaum had previously requested that the Prosecutor’s Office carry out the investigation of the events together with the military police and stated that it should be investigated “if there is additional responsibility of commanders.”
One confusion after another
According to the Sedenathe military patrol fired at a van carrying 33 foreigners and which tried to flee when it was intercepted. Behind the vehicle were two units that also fled.
The Army maintains that during the chase “military personnel said they heard explosions, so two elements activated their weapons.”stopping one of the trucks from moving.”
The Sedena version was supported last Thursday by the Public Ministry, which stated in a statement that the military arrived at the scene after being alerted about “armed people” and that the three units “fled, despite having been ordered to stop.”
“In the pursuit of said vehicles, the military personnel reported that they were attacked by their crew members and that is why they repelled the attack,” added the Prosecutor’s Office. The region where the events occurred, close to the border with Guatemala, is a common route for the trafficking of migrants who usually travel crowded in cargo trucks.
The Army confirmed that four migrants died at the scene and two more died in a hospital. Another 10 were injured and 17 unharmed.
The process of identifying the victims has been delayed, which has complicated the determination of their ages, and in some cases their nationality, but it is estimated that they were between 11 and 50 years old, a federal agent told the media.
Of the migrants who were injured and unharmed, the Public Ministry reported that the majority were identified as citizens of Cuba, Nepal, Pakistan, India and Egypt.
Despite criticism, Sheinbaum has expressed in recent days his support for the Armed Forces, which during the last administration accumulated numerous tasks and budgets that were previously managed by civilians.
AP
“Error” history
This is not the first time that the military has chased and shot at vehicles in which migrants are being trafficked, leaving people dead and injured.
In 2021, in the same area where the persecution occurred on Tuesday, a Cuban citizen died and four migrants were injured by shots fired by National Guard agents. when they were traveling in a van.
This new case has encouraged criticism from the leadership of the Catholic Church and local humanitarian organizations about the risks of the militarization of public security in Mexico, which began decades ago and deepened during the last six-year term of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who He handed over control of the National Guard to the army, a body that the former ruler created in 2019 to replace the defunct federal police and which was initially under civilian command.
The Navy reaffirms its loyalty and subordination to Sheinbaum
By recognizing it as the The commander Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Admiral Raymond Pedro Morales Ángeles, Secretary of the Navy, endorsed the loyalty and subordination of the Semar towards his investiture.
This was expressed in the opening speech of the Military Parade Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 and Creation of the Mexican Navy in which he also promised that the military institution will carry out its work with humanism during his administration.
“We are and will continue to be a loyal, happy and humanistic army. “We will continue to work hard to build a national maritime power with a sustainable and sustainable vision, promoting the development of maritime interests in the Mexican marine zones and in the coastal strip.”
He added that “protecting with a naval power that is capable of guaranteeing the security and protection of our seas, as a naval State, as a port State, as a flag State and as the military power of the country. With substantive equality and respect for human rights, putting the will and victory of our people first”Morales Ángeles said.
He affirms that there is no militarization nor a “State of exception”
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo pointed out that the times of peaceful exploits of the people and their Armed Forces will continue.
At Campo Marte, where hundreds of elements of the Armed Forces and National Guard were deployed, Claudia Sheinbaum did a roll call of the security elements aboard a military vehicle in the company of the heads of the Secretariat of National Defense and the Secretary of the Navy, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, respectively.
In his speech, Sheinbaum She said that she is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and that she was elected by popular vote, so she is a civilian and that this means that “honorably and loyally” the Armed Forces have always obeyed the civilian command as established by the Constitution.
He highlighted that the National Guard was transferred to the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) to guarantee security and referred to those who criticize the measure by arguing that it is militarization, which is totally false.
“In our country there is no state of exception, there are no violations of human rights; What there is is more democracy, more freedoms and the rule of law,” he said at the salutation ceremony, in which members of the Mexican Army, Mexican Air Force, Mexican Navy and National Guard performed the military salute that means “the greatest show of respect, subordination and loyalty to the President.”
The head of the Executive announced that she will continue to call on the elements of the Army and the National Guard to support the construction of large strategic projects of her administration, such as passenger trains and ports in the country.
CT