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Last week, 39 individuals perished after a fire broke out in a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez. The provisional detention center–run by the Mexican federal government’s National Migration Institute–held 68 migrants in one cell when the fire began. Video footage reveals authorities failed to open a locked door to allow the trapped migrants to escape as the flames consumed the building. Mexico’s National Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that most victims were from Central America.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) identified the bodies of 19 Guatemalan individuals and confirmed nine more injured. Communication with the families of the victims, however, has been inadequate. The Mexican Foreign Ministry created an “Immediate Action Group” tasked with working with diplomatic representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Colombia to assist the families of the deceased and facilitate the repatriation of remains. According to reports, the group referred families in Guatemala to the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been notably quiet and slow to respond. Minex announced on April 5 its plans to return the remains in a week but failed to inform the families before reports surfaced on Twitter.
In this time of unimaginable loss for these families, clear communication about the return of their loved ones is of the utmost importance. The victims' families must have the opportunity to mourn their dead in a culturally appropriate way, and delays and uncertainty in the process exacerbate their pain. Will you stand with these families today and demand transparency from Minex?
We are sending letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala (Minex) asking Ministry officials to take prompt action to communicate with the victims' families and repatriate the victims’ remains as soon as possible. Fill out the form below to send an email and demand justice.