A group of Cuban migrants, including elderly individuals, was violently beaten and evicted by municipal officials in Tapachula, Chiapas, in an incident that has sparked outrage both within and outside the migrant community.
The events took place in Miguel Hidalgo Park, where several Cubans —many recently deported from the United States— were trying to survive by selling coffee or charging their mobile phones after weeks of hardship and uncertainty.
According to a report by Tribuna de México, the migrants even had temporary permits, but that did not prevent them from being treated with excessive force by municipal staff.
Witnesses recorded the moment when a man in his 60s was pushed to the ground and beaten by officials. In another video, shared on social media, several employees can be seen restraining a 70-year-old Cuban while he remains defenseless on the floor, amidst shouts of “discrimination!” from those who witnessed the scene.
According to El País, the conflict began when workers from the Centinela program of the Public Services Secretariat demanded that the migrants disconnect their cell phones from electrical outlets in the park. The situation escalated quickly when an official attempted to forcibly remove the devices, prompting a reaction from the Cubans and the subsequent confrontation that left at least four people injured.
One of the assaulted individuals, identified as Eduardo Tosco, stated that there was never any violence on his part. "She threw my backpack and when we stood up, her companions started hitting us," he recounted. His testimony contradicts official versions that attempted to justify what happened by pointing to alleged misconduct by the migrants.
The case has raised alarms among activists and human rights defenders. Luis Villagrán reported a growing campaign of criminalization against foreigners in Tapachula, a city that has become a bottleneck for thousands of stranded migrants. "It is a violation of human rights," he stated.
The controversy intensified further when municipal authorities labeled the migrants involved as "mentally ill individuals," which sparked strong criticism for its stigmatizing tone and lack of evidence.
Tapachula is currently one of the main destinations where deported migrants from the United States become trapped, including thousands of Cubans who face a migratory limbo, lacking resources and exposed to abuse. In just the past few months, around 8,000 islanders have been sent to this region of southern Mexico, where they survive amid uncertainty, a lack of opportunities, and, as in this case, institutional violence.
The images of the eviction have once again highlighted the face of the Cuban migration crisis: men and women who, after leaving the island in search of a better future, end up facing new episodes of mistreatment far from home.
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