The ‘transport’ that screamed
The Mexican authorities came across a human cargo this Monday. Not at the border, but at a vehicle depot in Veracruz. Inside a truck, apparently stolen, they found 229 migrants.
The alarm was not raised by a control, but by the travelers themselves. After hours locked up, they began to scream and hit the walls of the vehicle. The warehouse staff heard the clamor and notified the emergency services.
“Hours after their arrival, screams and blows began to be heard coming from inside,” said a worker.
A dehumanizing journey
Among the group there were 17 minors. The majority, Central Americans. But the details are what really chill the blood.
Officials confirmed that the traffickers injected them with medication to “prevent them from needing to urinate during the journey.” A brutal practice that exposed them to serious risks of dehydration.
Some migrants belonged to indigenous communities in Guatemala and did not even speak Spanish. They had to wait for translators to be able to tell their version. The truck driver was arrested on the spot.
The uncomfortable questions come later. How is it possible that a truck with 229 people goes unnoticed until it ends up in a warehouse due to a simple theft report? The Veracruz government promises an investigation into the conditions of the trip.
Those rescued were loaded into police trucks. Its final destination, as usually happens, was not specified by the authorities. They go between promises and protocols.
This case is not an anomaly. It is the symptom of an increasingly dangerous and desperate migratory route. Where the merchandise is people, and silence is worth more than well-being.
