Mexican priest kidnapped while saving Cuban migrants from abduction

A priest in Mexico has been kidnapped
while protecting Cuban migrants from an
attempted abduction ifrom a migrant
shelter in the north-east of the country.
Father Aarón Méndez Ruiz, director of the
Casa del Migrante AMAR in Nuevo Laredo
city, Tamaulipas state, was taken on
August 3 when members of an organised
criminal group turned up to kidnap
migrants from the shelter to hold them for
ransom, reports Christian Solidarity
Worldwide.

Nuevo Laredo is situated on the US-Mexico
border and was recently incorporated into
the ‘Remain in Mexico’ programme
requiring migrants to stay in Mexico while
they await the outcome of immigration
applications to the US.
Local reports say that gangs have
increasingly turned to abductions as an
easy way of making money because
families tend to pay the ransoms quickly.

Shelter worker Erbin Ortiz told Spanish-
language news agency Agencia EFE that
the priest was “100% committed” to the
shelter and had blocked the attempt to
kidnap Cubans staying there.

He said that although the federal
authorities had been notified, no ransom
demand had been made for his release and
that there had been no communication with
Father Ruiz since his abduction.

Ortiz said that people staying in the shelter
were afraid of more attempted abductions.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas
said: “We are deeply concerned for the
wellbeing of Father Méndez Ruiz and for
the welfare of migrants residing at the
Casa del Migrante AMAR migrant shelter.

“We urge the Mexican government to
ensure security for civilian populations in
areas with a strong influence of criminal
groups, and to develop strategies to
support religious leaders and other civil
society actors who are under threat.
“CSW also calls for a full investigation into
the enforced disappearance of Father
Méndez Ruiz and the prosecution of those
responsible.”

Violence against members of the clergy
has spiralled in Mexico in recent years. In
2018, 10 religious leaders were killed,
making it the most dangerous country in
the world for Catholic priests for the tenth
year in a row.
CSW blamed the increase in attacks on
church leaders on a culture of impunity,
saying that a lack of proper investigation
meant that the perpetrators are not being
brought to justice.

Mr Thomas added: “We urge the
international community to engage with the
Mexican government on these matters and
to recognise the role that many religious
leaders play, not only as leaders of their
churches, but also as voices for peace,
justice and integrity, and as human rights
defenders.”