Audio Report from the Second Migrant Caravan in Mexico

In collaboration with our friends at CrimethInc. we present both this short audio report with a journalist that is part of a caravan traveling through Mexico, who details Mexican police harassment and brutality. Below is a written report from CrimethInc. that covers the same situation.

From CrimethInc.:

This morning, Mexico City government officials used police to evict the migrants that were on the street outside of the shelter at Estadio Palillo. There is a group of approximately 1500 people that arrived at the shelter between Sunday night and Monday. Those who arrived on Sunday were given a green bracelet; those who arrived on Monday were given a purple one. When they arrived, they were told that they could stay 10 days in the shelter, but the policy was changed without warning and now they are allowed only three days. Yesterday, the migrants were denied food and those with green bracelets were kicked out. They stayed outside on the streets nearby, because they had come with their family members and friends who had purple bracelets, and they have been waiting to leave together tomorrow.

At 9 o’clock in the morning, government officials arrived and told the migrants that they had to get on their way and they could not wait for the rest of their companerxs; they threatened to send them to immigration control and to the riot police, even though those same people have visas. Several people have been beaten, and those who were taking photos and video had their bracelets taken away even if they had purple ones. Those who were inside and wanted to come out to help their compas were not allowed to leave and were locked inside.

All the way from the southern border, officials have been pressuring people “not to wait for their families,” saying those with visas have to continue on and not wait for their compas that don’t have their visas yet.

They have been threatening them with police every place they enter, saying “continue on,” even though they are giving them one-year visas to stay in the country. They don’t want to see large groups and they don’t want people to wait. Right now, the same thing is happening in Mexico City, even though the local government boasts about having an Intercultural Law and an “inclusion” policy that is very “advanced” in regards to human rights.

Last night, the state police in Chiapas accompanied a group of 20 people as they walked between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula. They told them that they were “protecting” them, and that they should rest and stop to go the bathroom and drink water. That’s when the National Institute of Migration (INM) arrived with 10 police holding vans and started to detain them. Many people ran away onto the road at night and today many families are separated and lost, and many people have been detained and beaten up.

While Trump declares a national emergency in order to build his wall, this government is doing the same, and probably worse than those before, because they are not only doing the work of the US but they are also disguising their actions behind a “progressive” discourse while they repress migrants.

Original Statement in Spanish

Hoy por la mañana el gobierno de la Ciudad de México llegó a desalojar a las personas migrantes que se encontraban en las calles de afuera del albergue en el Estadio Palillo con policía. En el albergue se encuentra un grupo de 1,500 personas aprox., que llegó entre el domingo en la noche y el lunes. A quienes llegaron el domingo les pusieron un brazalete verde y a los del lunes uno morado. Cuando llegaron les dijeron que podían estar 10 días en el albergue pero cambiaron la política sin avisar y ahora solo les permiten estar 3. Ayer negaron alimento y sacaron a la gente de brazalete verde. Estas personas se quedaron en las calles de afuera pues vienen con familiares y amigxs que tienen brazalete morado, y les están esperando para salir mañana juntxs.

A las 9 de la mañana les llegaron a levantar y decirles que siguieran su camino y no esperarán a sus demás compañerxs, les amenazaron con mandarles a “migración” y granaderos, a pesar de que es gente que ya tiene visa. Hay varixs golpeadxs y a quienes estaban tomando foto y video, aunque tuvieran brazalete morado, se los quitaron. A la gente de adentro que quería salir ayudar a sus compas no la dejaban salir y la tienen encerrada.

Desde la frontera sur han estado presionando a las personas para que “no esperen a sus familias”, que avancen quienes tienen visas y no esperen a sus compas que todavía no la tienen. Les han estado amenazando con policías en cada lugar que llegan “que sigan su camino”, a pesar de que les están dando visas para permanecer un año en el país. No quieren ver grupos grandes y no quieren que la gente se espere. Ahora está pasando lo mismo en la Ciudad a pesar de que el gobierno local presume tener una Ley de Interculturalidad y políticas “de inclusión” muy “avanzadas” en materia de DDHH.

The second part of our short interview, where statements of solidarity are made, and those on the caravan ask for support and for media to come and cover what is happening. pic.twitter.com/0XBYsPsh6w

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 16, 2019

El nuevo gobierno “progresista” repite y repite que respetará los DDHH de las personas migrantes y en la práctica se ha dedicado a hostigar y criminalizar a lxs migrantes. Ya van 5 detenidos y deportados arbitrariamente por ser identificados como “organizadores”, cuando son migrantes que vienen ayudando lxs demás. Los han sometido a interrogatorios sobre “por qué ayudan” “quienes les financian” porque para el gobierno es ilógico que lxs migrantes se organicen para ayudarse entre ellxs, es ilógico que alguien que ha perdido todo y solo le queda irse “al norte” quiera cuidarse y cuidar de lxs suyxs en el camino. Les parece un comportamiento “raro” que merece ser “investigado” que un migrante reclame sus derechos y el respeto de su dignidad, que se enoje cuando los policías les amenazan y golpean a sus familias.

Ayer en la noche policía estatal de Chiapas acompañaba a un grupo de 200 personas que caminaban entre Ciudad Hidalgo y Tapachula, les dijeron que les iban “cuidando”, que descansaran y se pararan para ir al baño y tomar agua, cuando llegó el INM con 10 perreras y empezaron a detenerles, muchxs salieron corriendo por la carretera en la noche y hoy hay muchas familias separadas y pérdidas, muchxs detenidos y golpeadxs. Así que mientras Trump declara emergencia nacional para construir su muro, este gobierno sigue haciendo lo mismo, y probablemente peor, que los anteriores porque no solo hace la chamba para EUUU, sino que se lava la cara con un discurso “progre”, mientras reprime a las personas migrantes.