The NGO Amnesty International has published a report stating that Mexico is engaged in the violence against those Central Americans crossing its territory to try to reach the United States in search of a better life.
According to this document, along the Mexican state several criminal gangs await for passing migrants. When they come to their area, they attack them with violence. There have been reports of kidnappings, rapes and murders. The report highlights that six out of ten women and girls suffer sexual violence, "what makes some traffickers require
women to take a contraceptive injection before the trip to avoid getting pregnant after a rape." Meanwhile, Mexican officials "ignore the facts or even participate in them."
These facts are not unknown by the international community. Thus, it is known that gangster bands attack very often on freight trains from the south of the country. The most important train that travels the country from south to north is known as "The Beast", which starts from Oaxaca. In it, migrants travel on both sides and on the roof. Before reaching its destination, the United States, they are subjected to all sorts of harassment.
One of the most notorious cases occurred on 23th January. Several policemen stopped the train that crosses the State of Chiapas and was carrying about 100 people. According to the statements of a person who was at the scene, Veronica (not her real name) said that federal police forced her to get off the train along with other migrants and lie face down on the ground, then stole their belongings and threatened to kill them if they did not continue their journey on foot along the tracks. After walking for hours, the group was attacked by arme
d men who raped Veronica and killed at least one of the migrants. Days later two suspects were arrested after a local activist assisted the migrants to file a complaint in the local police station, but no action was taken against the Federal Police, although migrants identified two officers allegedly involved in the action."
Amnesty International, along with other human rights defender organizations, have been asking for several years the cessation of these practices and a direct action by the Mexican authorities.
According to this document, along the Mexican state several criminal gangs await for passing migrants. When they come to their area, they attack them with violence. There have been reports of kidnappings, rapes and murders. The report highlights that six out of ten women and girls suffer sexual violence, "what makes some traffickers require
women to take a contraceptive injection before the trip to avoid getting pregnant after a rape." Meanwhile, Mexican officials "ignore the facts or even participate in them."These facts are not unknown by the international community. Thus, it is known that gangster bands attack very often on freight trains from the south of the country. The most important train that travels the country from south to north is known as "The Beast", which starts from Oaxaca. In it, migrants travel on both sides and on the roof. Before reaching its destination, the United States, they are subjected to all sorts of harassment.
One of the most notorious cases occurred on 23th January. Several policemen stopped the train that crosses the State of Chiapas and was carrying about 100 people. According to the statements of a person who was at the scene, Veronica (not her real name) said that federal police forced her to get off the train along with other migrants and lie face down on the ground, then stole their belongings and threatened to kill them if they did not continue their journey on foot along the tracks. After walking for hours, the group was attacked by arme
d men who raped Veronica and killed at least one of the migrants. Days later two suspects were arrested after a local activist assisted the migrants to file a complaint in the local police station, but no action was taken against the Federal Police, although migrants identified two officers allegedly involved in the action."Amnesty International, along with other human rights defender organizations, have been asking for several years the cessation of these practices and a direct action by the Mexican authorities.
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