Mexican FM offers condolences to Egyptian victims families over Mexico shooting

Ahram Online , Tuesday 8 Oct 2024

Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs Juan Ramón de la Fuente expressed his deep regret over last week’s tragic shooting incident, which resulted in the deaths of three Egyptians among others, extending his condolences to the Egyptian government and the victims' families.

Mexican Foreign Minister Juan de la Fuente (L); Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty

This took place over a phone call on Tuesday with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty to review the latest developments related to the incident, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read.

Last Tuesday, Mexican soldiers opened fire on a pickup truck carrying 33 migrants from a half dozen countries, near the Guatemalan border in Chiapas. They killed six migrants, including three Egyptians and others from Peru and Honduras, and injured 10 others.

The shooting occurred near the city of Tapachula in the southern state of Chiapas near the border with Guatemala.

The incident has sparked widespread criticism including from Mexico's Catholic bishops, who denounced the "disproportionate use of lethal force" and linked the tragedy to the militarization of the country's migration policy.

During the call, Abdelatty urged the Mexican government to expedite the completion of necessary investigations and procedures to allow for the timely repatriation of the victims' bodies.

For his part, Fuente confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that the Egyptian government will be informed of the results as soon as they are reached.

In addition, Abdelatty called for providing the injured with essential medical care, emphasizing the importance of promptly addressing their needs.

He also instructed Egypt's ambassador in Mexico to travel to the city where the incident took place, about 850 km away from the Mexican capital, to oversee the situation, facilitate the repatriation process, and assess the needs of the injured.