The 13 Guatemalans who were captured on March 31 in the municipality of La Concordia, State of Chiapas, Mexico, accused of having participated in an armed confrontation with agents of the National Guard, in an event that left at least 10 dead, were They refused to receive consular assistance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) reported this Wednesday, April 3.
The Foreign Ministry reported that, through the Consulate General of Guatemala in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico, the case of the 13 detained compatriots was followed up, who this Wednesday attended a hearing before a judge; However, they refused to receive assistance from the Guatemalan authorities.
“The crossfire between both groups left around 25 people dead – 10 according to the Government of Mexico – in the context of a confrontation between the National Guard and an armed group, according to testimonies from residents, and local media reports. indicated the participation of the 13 Guatemalans detained after the massacre,” the Minex details in a statement.
In addition, it was said that so far the National Registry of Persons (Renap) has only established that of the 13 detainees, four are Guatemalans, but the collection of information continues.
“During the hearing this Wednesday, April 3, the judge in charge asked each of the 13 defendants if they required consular assistance. They all answered no. Therefore, the judge indicated that the Consulate had to leave the place, the Prosecutor’s Office will be the one who will handle the case,” says the Minex statement.
Mexico confirms 10 deaths
At least ten alleged criminals died in two clashes in the Mexican state of Chiapas, one of them with the National Guard, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reported this Wednesday after a complaint from an NGO.
The president of Mexico dismissed the version released Tuesday afternoon by the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center that a shootout between national guards and armed men left 25 dead, including civilians waiting for river transport.
“There must be about 10 (deceased). There were five directly between (criminal) gangs and five more with the National Guard in a confrontation,” said the president.
López Obrador reported that there were also 13 detainees, among them citizens of Guatemala, because it is a bordering area. Several large caliber weapons were also seized.
The events took place over the weekend, on separate days, in the municipality of La Concordia, after alleged gunmen from a criminal group invaded the ranch of a rival gang, which unleashed a first shootout that left five dead, he detailed.
“The next day reinforcements came (from the criminal group) and there was a confrontation with the National Guard” with five more deaths, the president added.
The confrontation with the militarized National Guard took place near a dam and according to the complaint from the Fray Bartolomé center, among the victims were people waiting for river transport.
But when asked expressly, López Obrador assured that the 10 victims were armed.
According to the NGO, one of the most recognized in Chiapas with 35 years of work, there were also injuries, but the president did not give further details on the matter.
Violence has worsened in Chiapas due to disputes between the Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Sinaloa cartels, the two largest criminal gangs in Mexico.
According to the Insight Crime analysis center, the dispute occurs over the control of towns near the border with Guatemala, key for the trafficking of drugs, weapons and migrants who cross Mexico to reach the United States.
The violence has also forced residents of municipalities such as Socoltenango to abandon their plots due to the imposition of extortionate fees on corn growers, according to Insight Crime. Some families have already returned.
Since December 2006, when the federal government launched a controversial military anti-drug offensive, more than 450,000 murders have been recorded in Mexico, most of them victims of criminal acts, according to official figures.
#Guatemalans #captured #Chiapas #accept #consular #assistance