- Title: Mothers of missing Central American migrants plead their cases in Mexico's Senate
- Date: 25th November 2016
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF MEXICAN SENATE BUILDING MOTHERS OF MISSING MIGRANT CHILDREN GETTING OFF BUS MOTHERS ASSEMBLED OUTSIDE BUS PARENTS WITH LANYARDS OF PHOTOS OF MISSING MIGRANT CHILDREN PHOTO OF MISSING MIGRANT MORE OF PARENTS OF MISSING MIGRANTS PARENTS OF MISSING MIGRANTS ENTERING SENATE BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GUATEMALAN MOTHER OF MISSING MIGRANT, CATALINA LOPEZ, SAYING: "We demand from Mexico the defence of human rights of migrants because migrating is a right. This is why we are here to demand truth and justice and to know what is happening with our migrant family members who have gone missing." PHOTO OF MISSING MIGRANT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SALVADORAN MOTHER OF MISSING MIGRANT, ANITA ZELAYA, SAYING: "Now Mexico is amongst those (countries) who deport the most people. It (Mexico) is doing the dirty work of the United States, deporting our people. In the 2015 financial year Mexico repatriated 176,000 Central Americans among them 30,000 children. The United States also deported 75,000." PARENTS OF MISSING MIGRANT CHILDREN AT NEWS CONFERENCE FATHER OF MISSING MIGRANT PARENTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SENATOR, MARIA LORENA MARIN, SAYING: "To say to them we are on their side and we share their pain because Mexico is also a country of migrants. A country where many of our fellow citizens go to our neighbouring country (United States) and many times they do not come back or many times they disappear when trying to cross the border." GENERAL VIEW OF PARENTS AND ACTIVISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE AUDIENCE MEMBER AT NEWS CONFERENCE WEARING MASK AND WIG VARIOUS OF MOTHERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE HOLDING PICTURES OF MISSING MIGRANT CHILDREN BANNER FOR THE CARAVAN OF CENTRAL AMERICAN MOTHERS GENERAL VIEW OF BUS CARRYING CENTRAL AMERICAN MOTHERS PARKED ON STREET
- Embargoed: 10th December 2016 00:55
- Keywords: Mexico Senate migrants Central America missing
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00159T2XR9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of mothers looking for their missing Central American migrant children and relatives descended upon Mexico City's Senate on Thursday (November 24) to speak to lawmakers for help.
The Caravan of Central American Mothers includes 42 women from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua whose children and relatives went missing in transit through Mexico while attempting to migrate from Central America to the United States.
The women carried photos of their missing relatives to their chests as they entered the Senate building to put their demands to lawmakers.
"We demand from Mexico the defence of human rights of migrants because migrating is a right. This is why we are here to demand truth and justice and to know what is happening with our migrant family members who have gone missing," said Catalina Lopez from Guatemala.
According to Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), about 10,000 migrants were abducted over a six-month period. Amnesty International estimates six out of ten migrant woman and girls were subjected to sexual abuse in Mexico.
And amidst an anti-migrant rhetoric from the United States, Mexico has raised security along its border to arrest the flow of Central American migrants in a southern border plan that includes improving infrastructure at rudimentary border crossings, encouraging the use of visitor permits and beefing up the presence of police and the navy alongside customs and immigration officials.
Salvadoran mother Anita Zelaya told media Mexico is doing the dirty business of the United States by deporting a growing number of migrants.
"Now Mexico is amongst those (countries) who deport the most people. It (Mexico) is doing the dirty work of the United States, deporting our people. In the 2015 financial year Mexico repatriated 176,000 Central Americans among them 30,000 children. The United States also deported 75,000," said Zelaya.
Every year, thousands of Central American migrants travel some 3,000 km (1,900 miles) through Mexico hoping for a better life in the United States.
The 12th Caravan of Central American Mothers will pass through various Mexican states, following the steps of countless numbers of migrants heading north to the United States. They will reportedly cover 4,000 km (2,000 miles) in their track.
Senator Maria Lorena Marin told the mothers that Mexico shares a similar plight of emigration towards the United States.
"To say to them we are on their side and we share their pain because Mexico is also a country of migrants. A country where many of our fellow citizens go to our neighbouring country (United States) and many times they do not come back or many times they disappear when trying to cross the border," said Marin.
With Mexico in the throes of a brutal drugs war, Central American migrants are easy targets for Mexico's ruthless cartels who are increasingly kidnapping migrants for ransom and forcing them to carry narcotics into the United States.
And with US president-elect Donald Trump vowing to deport up to three million migrants, critics say this crackdown only forces migrants further underground and puts them at greater risk. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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