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Dozens of Hispanic families are mourning the death of at least 40 migrants killed in a fire at a border station in Ciudad Juárez, northern Mexico.
Several people have criticized Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for claiming that the incident was the responsibility of the migrants themselves.
“This had to do with a protest that they started when they found out that they were going to be deported, mobilized. Aas a protest, they put mattresses at the door of the shelter and set them on fire, and they did not imagine that this was going to cause this terrible misfortune,” said López Obrador in his morning conference.
The President detailed that the incident occurred in Ciudad Juárez, on the border with the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas. Most of the migrants were from Central America and Venezuela.
“We know so far that they are mainly migrants from Central America and some from Venezuela who were in that shelter. We do not yet know the names and nationalities of those who unfortunately lost their lives. It is very sad that this could happen,” he said.
EFE was on the scene and confirmed the information. “In the area of the fire, near the Río Bravo that divides Mexico and the United States, EFE found dozens of bags containing the bodies of migrants who perished in the fire”.
On Wednesday morning, authorities reported that those responsible for the incident were arrested. The information was confirmed by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. However, he did not specify the number or identity of those presented to the Attorney General’s Office.
“I have shared with them (the governments) that according to what we have been informed by these agencies, those directly responsible for the events have been presented to the Attorney General’s Office,” the foreign minister explained.
He also said that he conveyed Mexico’s deep indignation for what happened and the will of the Government and the “people of Mexico to clarify the facts and punish those responsible.”
Migrant testimonials
In the midst of the tragedy, migrants arguedthat the situation could have been avoided. “If they take everything from us, how did the dungeon burn? If Migration takes away everything, how did it burn? We want justice, please help us, give us protection. We are afraid to go out on the street, we don’t know what could happen to us,” said Abel Ortega, a Venezuelan migrant who cannot locate his brother, Orlando Maldonado, in an interview with EFE.
According to Ortega’s testimony, on Monday he was taken to the jail of the National Migration Institute (INM) station in Ciudad Juarez, along with his brother, but only he was later released.
Since then he has had no information about his brother. He said he fears that he is one of the 40 dead or 29 wounded officially reported so far by the Mexican authorities.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis asked for prayers for the families affected by these events. “Let us pray for the migrants who died yesterday in a tragic fire in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. May the Lord receive them in his kingdom and give comfort to the families. Let us pray for them.”
More! Migrants Protest as Mayorkas Defends Biden’s Immigration Policies
The immigration crisis at the U.S. border has deepened due to Democratic policies. The open-door discourse has driven the arrival of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, which has generated the collapse of the authorities.
Republican leaders had warned about the crisis that would result from Biden’s immigration policy. Last year, Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham denounced Alejandro Mayorkas’ mismanagement and called for his dismissal for his handling of the situation.
Williams Perdomo es periodista y escritor, especializado en las fuentes Política y Cultura.