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 Editorials | Issues | March 2007 
On Mexico’s Southern Border: Soldiers vs. Grupo Beta
 Jeremy Schwartz - Uncovering Mexico
| | A member of the Mexican government's migrant assistance unit, Grupo Beta, center, speaks to Juan Hamiton, 22, right, and other migrants from Guatemala in the Mexican town of Arriaga, on the border with Guatemala Feb. 21, 2007. (AP/Alexandre Meneghini) |
On Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala about a half dozen law enforcement agencies patrol the border. Only federal police and immigration agents are legally able to detain undocumented migrants, but the rest do it anyway, hoping to squeeze out bribes.
Into this scenario steps Grupo Beta, the government agency charged with protecting the migrants. Grupo Beta’s unique mandate often puts it at odds with corrupt police forces.
Nancy, my wife and sometime photographer, and I accompanied a Grupo Beta team last week to the Suchiate River, Mexico’s version of the Rio Grande, where we had a disturbing confrontation with Mexican soldiers.
First off, the scene is one of the strangest in the world. Literally in the shadow of the official bridge, migrants make hundreds of unauthorized trips each day, most ferrying goods like soda and tomatoes to avoid customs duties. Mexican soldiers look on, sometimes inspecting bags of the unofficial crossers, but otherwise doing nothing to stop the flow. Stories are rampant of soldiers demanding a couple hundred pesos to let illegal migrants pass.
Nancy was taking various shots of the scene, when a fresh-faced soldier came bounding over, demanding to see our camera, claiming we couldn’t take pictures of them even though they were in a public space. He claimed it was because of “terrorism” concerns. The Grupo Beta officers immediately rushed to our defense, I think out of some frustration of knowing these same soldiers were shaking down migrants with impunity.
“They are journalists and they don’t have to show you anything,” an unarmed Grupo Beta agent declared to the increasingly agitated teenager with a machine gun slung over his shoulder.
The troop’s media-savvy commander came over, dismissed the young soldier and apologized profusely to us. The Grupo Beta guys were still steamed. “If your soldiers are treating American journalists like this, imagine what they do to the migrants!” our Grupo Beta guide cried.
Uncovering Mexico: Jeremy Schwartz is the Mexico correspondent for Cox Newspapers. He is based in Mexico City. |
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