On the day in which Santa Josefina Bakhita, patron saint of people’s trafficking survivors, is held, the Catholic Church in Mexico denounced the “intolerable” drama of this crime, “that violates all the victim’s human rights.”
In a statement signed by Mons. Eugenio Lira Rugarcía, Bishop of Matamoros-Reynosa and responsible for the episcopal dimension of the Human Mobility Pastoral (DEPMH), and the HNA. Gloria Estela Murúa Valencia SA, responsible for the slope against trafficking in persons, was described as “intolerable that puts a price on people to sell and/or buy them in order to submit them to sexual exploitation, forced labor, to forced marriages , already illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, people, organs and weapons, as well as the illegal exploitation of natural resources ”.
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Remembering the message That Pope Francis addressed world leaders who participated in the summit on the rights of the child, on February 3, the Church in Mexico said that the Holy Father “recalled the suffering of millions of children who are victims of child slavery, as well as millions of migrant, alone or accompanied children, who, lacking documents, are vulnerable to be victims of all kinds of abuse or sold as slaves. ”
In the statement, Mons. Lira Rugarcía and the HNA. Murúa Valencia point out that “those who have lived this terrible drama, comment that they would have preferred to die or stop feeling their lives remaining intoxicated, until they managed to overcome and risk their freedom.”
“And believing that God, who has created us, can recreate us, have become survivors. His testimony encourages us to improve already work so that the life of every person is better. ”
According to a report by the International Labor Organization, the Walk Free platform and the International Organization for Migration, more than 50 million people in the world are victims of modern slavery.
And report Published in August 2022 for the United States Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, he points out that “the Government of Mexico does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, but is making important efforts to achieve it.”
“As reported in the last five years, people traffickers exploit national and foreign victims in Mexico, and the traffickers exploit the victims of Mexico abroad,” the report continues.
“Among the groups considered of greatest risk in Mexico are unaccompanied children, indigenous people, people with mental and physical disabilities, asylum applicants and migrants, internal displaced people, LGBTQI+people, Informal sector and children in gang controlled territories, ”he adds.
In addition to Mexican victims, the report indicates, “the vast majority of foreign victims of forced labor and treats for sexual purposes in Mexico come from Central America and South America, in particular of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela, with an increase of Venezuelan victims in recent years. ”
“Let’s open our eyes”
Mons. Lira Ruggarcía and the HNA. Murúa Valencia encourages that, “as pilgrims of hope, we open our eyes to the wounds of those who are deprived of dignity, let’s listen from their silenced bodies for the screams of help, and we are prolongation of Jesus to build a Mexico and a world in which Every person is recognized, valued, respected, promoted and defended. ”
“Let us ask God this grace, particularly this February 8, the day of Santa Josefina Bakhita, patron saint of victims and survivors of human trafficking,” they said.
“That she, who lived the drama of slavery, intercede for those who are suffering right now this terrible vexation, and obtains all of the Lord the courage necessary to overcome indifference and fear in order to make all forms of all forms of slavery, ”they concluded in the statement.
David Ramos
Graduate in Communication Sciences by the Private University of the North in Trujillo, Peru. With more than 12 years of experience in Catholic journalism working in ACI Press, I am based in Mexico since 2018. I have covered the trips of Pope Francis to Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Panama.