Mexican president calls for investigation of deadly migrant shooting
Al JazeeraSep 22
Mexico: Soldiers Open Fire on Migrant Truck, Kill Six Near Guatemala
Above: Migrants set out in a US-bound caravan on the outskirts of Tapachula, State of Chiapas, Mexico, near the country's southern border with Guatemala, on July 23, 2024. Image copyright: Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Mexico's Defense Department said in a statement on Wednesday that six migrants from Egypt, El Salvador, and Peru were killed, and 10 others wounded, when soldiers opened fire on a truck on Tuesday near the border with Guatemala.
According to an official report, officers patrolling a highway in the southern state of Chiapas chased down a fleeing migrant convoy that was mistaken for cartel members, and started shooting after hearing explosions.
The Spin
Narrative A
This kind of tragedy is a direct consequence of Mexico's decision to militarize migration enforcement in its southern border with Guatemala — and one that was waiting to happen given the country's record of human rights abuses. Crackdowns can only aggravate risks for already vulnerable people who are migrating to survive.
Narrative B
This is indeed a tragic incident — and Mexican authorities have already launched an investigation into the shooting. However, this isolated event doesn't mean that deploying soldiers to the southern border was a mistake. Violence has ramped up in the area as cartels expand their presence and vie for territorial control, and Mexico's authorities must act to curb criminal activity.