Key Takeaways
- President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed sorrow over the death of parishioners in a church collapse.
- A total of 10 Cuban migrant women died when a freight truck overturned in Chiapas.
- Lopez Obrador urged addressing poverty and improving human‑rights protections to curb mass migration.
Mexico City: Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday lamented the death of parishioners and migrants in two separate incidents over the weekend.
Speaking at his daily morning press conference, the president expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims crushed to death when the roof of a church caved in on Sunday in Ciudad Madero, in northeast Tamaulipas state.
Lopez Obrador also mourned the death of 10 Cuban migrant women who lost their lives when the freight truck they were on board overturned on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred on a highway in southeast Chiapas state, highlighting the dangers migrants face during transit.
The president reiterated the need to address issues including poverty and lack of opportunities that cause tens of thousands to migrate in search of a better life abroad, leading to mass exodus and border problems.
“They pass through Mexico with many risks, (such as) violations of their human rights, gangs that kidnap migrants, murder and misfortune due to transit accidents because they hire trucks that are in poor condition,” he said.
It is essential to address the causes of migration with a comprehensive plan, that is why foreign ministers from the 10 countries with the highest migration rates will soon gather to discuss solutions, he added.
Today, some 6,000 migrants arrive daily at Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, while the number on Mexico’s northern border with the United States jumps to 10,000, he said.
In a message directed at Mexico’s northern neighbor, Lopez Obrador called for prioritizing human rights over ideology, and poverty-alleviation programs over sanctions and blockades to tackle mass immigration.
