At least 10 migrants seeking admission into México from Guatemala sewed their mouths shut on Tuesday in an unusual move meant to persuade the Mexican government to let them continue on to the United States’s southern border.
By Washington Examiner – Anna Giaritelli
Feb 16, 2022
The migrants, primarily Central and South Americans, used needles and plastic thread to close their mouths, according to Reuters.
Venezuelan migrant Yorgelis Rivera said she has been waiting for permission from Mexican authorities to be allowed to travel through the country from Tapachula on México’s southern border for more than a month.
“We are like prisoners here,” Rivera said.
The stunt was intended as a “sign of protest” for how the Mexican government’s National Migration Institute has blocked migrants from entering the country, activist Irineo Mujica said.
“We hope that the National Migration Institute can see that they are bleeding, that they are human beings,” Mujica said.
Mujica organized a number of attempted caravans in 2021, most of which were blocked by Mexican authorities from getting much further than southern México.
Mexican authorities dismissed Mujica’s plea.
“It is worrying that these measures have been carried out with the consent and support of those who call themselves their representatives, with the intention of pressuring authorities on an attention already provided,” the National Migration Institute said in a statement.
México saw more noncitizens seek asylum last year than any year in history. While many have sought refuge in México, many have opted to travel to the U.S. with the hope of being released into the country from the border.
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Read More: Washington Examiner – Migrants sew mouths shut in protest for access to US border
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