Extortionists target families of crash victims in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan families awaiting connection connected the destiny of relatives progressive successful a deadly migrant smuggling mishap successful confederate Mexico are present besides surviving with the panic of extortionists telling them their loved ones person been kidnapped.

In the vacuum of authoritative accusation pursuing Thursday’s deadly clang that near 55 migrants dead, opportunists are demanding wealth from their families for information.

In its desperation, 1 Guatemalan household had published its telephone fig connected societal media hoping for accusation astir their missing relative. On Monday, they shared with an AP newsman a surface seizure showing a Mexican telephone fig demanding $3,000 if they wanted to spot him again.

The caller adjacent sent what appeared to beryllium an altered photograph that superimposed the relative’s look connected the assemblage of different migrant.

The extortion is particularly cruel due to the fact that the families are distraught, mediocre and successful astir cases successful indebtedness for thousands of dollars for the failed smuggling attempt.

“We’re scared,” said the member of 1 migrant, who though surviving successful the United States requested anonymity retired of fear. “It says determination are 40 kidnapped. We don’t cognize if my member could beryllium there.”

On Thursday afternoon, a semi-trailer packed with migrants flipped successful the confederate Mexico authorities of Chiapas. It was believed to person been speeding, mislaid power connected a curve and smashed into a alloy pedestrian bridge, spilling bodies crossed the road.

Authorities person struggled to marque identifications and successful that deficiency of authoritative information, criminals person entered looking for profit.

The Guatemalan authorities made telephone lines disposable for families of fewer resources, galore of whom bash not talk Spanish, but families accidental they’ve been told thing official.

Guatemala sent a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo to Mexico connected Friday. They met with the injured successful Chiapas and past went connected to Mexico City to conscionable with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard.

Guatemala’s authorities announced 3 days of mourning for victims Monday.

Thousands of Guatemalans proceed to migrate north, hoping to scope the United States. Experts estimation 300 to 500 permission regular and wage smuggling connected mean $10,000. To travel up with that wealth they often merchantability their belongings, manus implicit the deeds to their homes and instrumentality loans from relatives.

Those who successfully get successful the U.S. supply a captious income root to Guatemala successful the wealth they nonstop location to their families. The much than $11 cardinal Guatemalans nonstop location annually accounts for much than 14% of Guatemala’s gross home product.

From January done November, astir 15,000 Guatemalans were deported from the United States by air. During the aforesaid period, different 58,000 were deported from Mexico by onshore and air.