About a dozen or so women in the migrant caravan camped out in Tijuana launched a hunger strike today in hopes of convincing officials to give them special treatment.
A group of women from the caravan just announced they’re going on a hunger strike in Tijuana to demand immediate Mexican temporary humanitarian visas while they wait for asylum in the US, the US to speed up the asylum process at the border, and stop to deportations of caravaners pic.twitter.com/2yJ6iIhjID
— Adolfo Flores (@aflores) November 29, 2018
“A group of women from the caravan just announced they’re going on a hunger strike in Tijuana to demand immediate Mexican temporary humanitarian visas while they wait for asylum in the US, the US to speed up the asylum process at the border, and stop to deportations of caravaners,” BuzzFeed “national security correspondent for immigration” Adolfo Flores posted to Twitter.
The women make the proclamation at from the porch of Enclave Caracol, a vegan café that’s apparently fond of anarchy. Ironically, a sign hanging from the porch read “Comida Gratis,” which translates to “Free food.”
Flores posted “the hunger strike is slated to start at 1pm at the Chaparral border crossing with about 10 women.”
He later wrote that “the hunger strikers are being blocked by federal police from going to the Chaparral crossing. Police are citing Sunday’s confrontation at the border.”
The immigrant rights group Pueblo Sin Fronteras – People Without Borders – streamed the announcement at Enclave Caracol live on Facebook, and included an English translation.
“First of all, to make clear, that the women who are standing here are here on their own volition, that they have not been sent by men. This is a committee of women that decided to take these actions for themselves because of the situation that they are living under,” the translator said.
“The women want to present a set a demands, a set of points, to present to … the offices of Mexican immigration, and as well to” US officials.
The translator repeatedly referred to the migrants as “refugees.”
Pueblo Sin Fronteras also issued a lengthy press statement about the stunt.
The women at the press conference said they’re fed up with the slow progress in finding a solution to their plight, and decided to launch the hunger strike to put pressure on Mexico’s incoming president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, to get what they want.
Obrador is scheduled to be sworn into office this weekend.
“There is nothing worse than to live on the run, withstanding hunger,” one of the women said, according to Politico. “We are not afraid.”
Irineo Mujica, director for Pueblo Sin Fronteras, contends the hunger strike is in response to a breakdown in negotiations with immigration officials. Organizers told the news site 15 women are participating, and that number is expected to increase.
“We have been in talks with the new government, with the old government. They haven’t fixed anything,” Mujica said. “The government just keeps making promises and we just keep waiting.”
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.