Immigration agents claimed Mexican Indians were Guatemalan
MEXICO CITY – Four members of Mexico’s Tzeltal indigenous community were detained for nine days by immigration agents who refused to believe they were Mexican.
The agents claimed the three men and one woman were Guatemalans, despite the fact they had Mexican birth certificates or ID documents.
The incident occurred in 2015 in the north-central state of Queretaro, where few Indians live.
The Tzeltales are from Chiapas, a southern state that borders Guatemala. They speak a language similar to the Maya-family languages spoken by indigenous groups in Guatemala, who they also physically resemble.
Mexico’s Humans Rights Commission said Tuesday the agents violated their human rights, and demanded they be given better training to avoid detaining their fellow citizens.
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