Mexico confirms that a soldier killed a Guatemalan migrant for a “wrong reaction”

The Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) of Mexico confirmed this Tuesday that a soldier killed the migrant Guatemalan Elvin Mazariegos on the southern border. He argued that the military had “a wrong reaction”.

General Luis Cresencio Sandoval, head of the Sedena, explained that the incident occurred at a military checkpoint in the municipality of Motozintla, Chiapas, where Elvin was traveling with two other people in a vehicle that reversed when observing the checkpoint.

“There is an erroneous reaction on the part of the military personnel, because there was no aggression with a firearm or an attack in any other way, but one of our elements fires some shots, where he wounds one of the civilians.” Sandoval admitted.

The statements of the leader of the Mexican Army, at the daily press conference in the National Palace, occurred hours after the announcement of an investigation for aggravated homicide at the Immigrant Prosecutor’s Office of the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) of Chiapas.

The Secretary of Defense assured that the military themselves attended to Elvin after injuring him in the municipality of Motozintla, but this contradicts the prosecution’s report, which had stated that the body appeared lifeless in a Mitsubishi vehicle in the municipality of Mazapa de Madero.

“The injured person is given care by our own staff and unfortunately loses his life.” General Sandoval asserted.

The death of the Guatemalan takes place days after the femicide of Victoria Esperanza Salazar, a 36-year-old migrant from El Salvador who had a humanitarian visa, killed by four policemen from the municipality of Tulum, a tourist enclave of Quintana Roo.

Victoria’s death, recorded on video on Saturday, has sparked protests from groups that accuse Mexican security forces of racism and misogyny, in addition to claims from El Salvador.

In the case of Elvin, the chancellor of Guatemala, Pedro Brolo, demanded this Tuesday from the Mexican authorities “the clarification of the crimes committed”.

The leader of the Army of Mexico stated that the person responsible is under investigation.

“This element is at the disposal of the authorities of the Federal Public Ministry for the proceedings that may be required,” he commented.

After the fact, added the head of the Sedena, they arrived “various vehicles”With about 300 people from Motozintla and Guatemala to demand justice and attack with“stones and sticks”To the military.

The citizens detained 15 agents, three official vehicles and 17 weapons, although they never crossed the border into Guatemala and they are all released, Sandoval clarified.

“An economic reparation agreement is reached and obviously, as was the demand of the residents, legal actions are initiated against the person responsible.” He asserted.

These events happen while Mexico has reinforced its military presence on the southern border, with 34,993 irregular migrants detained by the National Migration Institute (INM) until March 25, with an annual increase of 28%.