The Guatemalan government granted humanitarian stay permits on Wednesday to 161 Mexican citizens who crossed the border from Chiapas seeking refuge from violence caused by organized crime groups.
According to the Guatemalan Migration Institute, the group is made up of 40 men, 52 women, 31 boys, and 38 girls, including elderly people. In total, there are 39 families, including 69 minors, from different communities in the municipality of Frontera Comalapa, on the border with La Mesilla, Huehuetenango.
Guatemalan authorities reported that the displaced persons will remain in the country as long as they wish and are currently housed in community shelters, relatives’ homes, or rented accommodations in the region.
The area where they are located has been placed under the protection of the National Civil Police and the Guatemalan Army.
Guatemalan authorities stated that officials from the National Migration Institute in Chiapas and the Mexican Ministry of the Interior also participated in the process.
The governor of Chiapas, Eduardo Ramírez, stated that several of the people who crossed the border have family members detained and facing legal proceedings.
He also denied that forced displacement due to organized crime exists in the state, stating that these reports are part of an attempt to discredit the security strategy implemented in the state.
Source: aristeguinoticias
