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From December 1st to 18th, the thirteenth “Caravan of Mothers of Missing Migrants” will be held, which will enter Mexico to “search for the disappeared, break the silence and demand justice,” as well as to “show the consequences of anti-migrant policies, make visible the mourning of mothers and create awareness that they are as important as any other person.” The Caravan entered the country through the border of Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas to begin a journey of 4,000 kilometers along the migratory route, crossing 12 states and 22 locations in Mexico.

In an initial communiqué, the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement (MMM) denounced that, “according to the United Nations, approximately 500,000 people cross the southern Mexican border each year. Most come from the Northern Triangle of Central America, a region hit by widespread violence and economic inequality. Economic insecurity combined with the impact of mega-projects for the extraction of minerals and other resources create a situation of structural violence and forced displacement. This economic precariousness occurs in a context of acute violence in these countries that have the highest levels of homicide and gender violence worldwide. When migrants flee from these conditions they encounter serious threats during their journey through Mexico where the violence of criminal groups and the corruption of state institutions results in migrants being kidnapped, extorted and trafficked by organized crime groups, among many other violations of their human rights.”

The MMM also expressed that “the risks of transit through Mexico have increased in recent years where the Mexican government, in cooperation with the government of the United States, has tried to prevent the migratory flow from reaching the northern border through the militarization of the territory. These tactics of persecution, detention and deportation combined with the threat of corrupt authorities colluded with criminal groups, have increased the vulnerability of migrants in transit. As in the case of disappeared Mexicans, there is a level of absolute impunity in cases of abuse and disappearance of migrants in Mexico. The absence of political will and the corruption of local authorities force the relatives of the disappeared migrants to carry out the difficult job of seeking and demanding justice. “

For more information in Spanish:

Caravana de madres de migrantes desaparecidos viaja a Veracruz (La Jornada, 6 de diciembre de 2017)

Madres de migrantes desaparecidos inician caravana en México (La Jornada, 2 de diciembre de 2017)

Llega a México la XIII Caravana de Madres Centroamericanas en busca de sus desaparecidos (Proceso, 1ero de diciembre de 2017)

Comunicado de prensa (Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano, 27 de noviembre de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

México : Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos “buscando vida en caminos de muerte” (25 de noviembre de 2016)