Mexico: Soldiers Open Fire on Migrant Truck, Kill Six Near Guatemala

OCT 4 2024·UPDATED OCT 4 2024

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Above: Migrants set out in a US-bound caravan on the outskirts of Tapachula, State of Chiapas, Mexico, near the country's southern border with Guatemala, on July 23, 2024. Image copyright: Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

This kind of tragedy is a direct consequence of Mexico's decision to militarize migration enforcement in its southern border with Guatemala — and one that was waiting to happen given the country's record of human rights abuses. Crackdowns can only aggravate risks for already vulnerable people who are migrating to survive.

WOLA

Narrative B

This is indeed a tragic incident — and Mexican authorities have already launched an investigation into the shooting. However, this isolated event doesn't mean that deploying soldiers to the southern border was a mistake. Violence has ramped up in the area as cartels expand their presence and vie for territorial control, and Mexico's authorities must act to curb criminal activity.

Aztec Reports