Chiapas Migrant Accident/‘Stay in Mexico’

Chihuahua security status. Head of the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), Luis Cresencio Sandoval reported that Chihuahua ranks third in intentional homicides nationwide, although the crime is in a downward trend. “The state ranks third for intentional homicides, fifth in human trafficking, eighth in vehicle theft and 12 in-home robberies, but the four crimes have seen a drop,” he said.

Migrants killed in truck crash. Luis Rodríguez Bucio, commander of the National Guard, said the migrants in a Thursday crash in Chiapas that killed at least 54 people had entered Mexican territory from Guatemala. “According to the testimonies of the migrants themselves, they entered La Mesilla from the Mexico-Guatemala border several days before and concentrated in San Cristobal, where they were housed by people dedicated to human trafficking.” According to reports, it is suspected that 166 migrants, including 19 minors, from Guatemala and Honduras, were traveling in the truck when it crashed, although different reports put the number at between 100 and 200.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that he regretted what had happened and that he would continue to address the problems related to migration. “We express our pain at these unfortunate and sad events and send a fraternal hug to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this accident. That’s the main thing. It hurts a lot when these cases occur.”

‘Stay in Mexico.’ López Obrador also pointed out that a restart of the Stay in Mexico program gives the Mexican government the opportunity to take care of migrants who pass through its territory. “It is a program that will continue to allow us to take care of migrants and we will continue to do so, but we are talking about migratory flows of thousands of people, so we must address the problems in the communities of origin.” He also made it clear that national immigration policy will not change, saying the crisis cannot be resolved with coercive measures, but with job opportunities and well-being. “There would be about 300,000 people at risk of migrating in Central America and it is necessary to act immediately. It has not been possible to address the causes of the migratory phenomenon. Hopefully, these misfortunes will serve, this pain, to raise awareness and address the underlying problem.”

Electricity industry meeting. López Obrador said his meeting with Mexican businessmen from the Mexican Business Council (CMN) to discuss infrastructure projects included a frank conversation about the issues facing the industry. “We spoke very clearly, frankly and with respect. We talked about the issues in the electricity industry and I told them that others had abused (their position) at times and nothing more was thought about the private business, that a company did well, even if the country did badly.”

A López Obrador-led initiative to constitutionally reform the electricity sector, which would reverse some elements of the Energy Reform implemented in 2014, is making its way through Congress. The initiative has led to uncertainty in the sector, hindering investment.

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish