The Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Mexican Caritas issued a message on July 30 to alert about human trafficking in the framework of the International Day against this scourge.
The statement was signed by bishops Eugenio Lira Rugarcía, bishop of Matamoros-Reynosa and president of the Human Mobility Commission, and José Hirais, bishop of Huejutla and president of the Commission for the Pastoral Care of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples Beltrán during the international commemoration.
Señalaron que este delito afecta principalmente a sectores vulnerables de la población. Entre los grupos más expuestos figuran migrantes, campesinos, pueblos originarios y comunidades afromexicanas.
The bishops highlighted that discrimination and the lack of state protection facilitate recruitment. They also pointed out that xenophobia and racism worsen the situation of these populations in the country.
In light of this situation, the institutions recalled the importance of human solidarity in the face of others' suffering. In this sense, they reminded us that the Word of God questions us with the phrase: «Do you know where your brother is? Do you know under what conditions he is employed?».
Labor and social exploitation
Criminal networks operate through the trafficking of human beings and organs to finance their illegal activities. They also force victims to collaborate with drug trafficking cartels under constant threats.
Traffickers subjugate people in prostitution and domestic work within tourist and industrial spaces. Regarding this reality, they warned that “trafficking must be recognized as a contemporary form of slavery and as a serious violation of human dignity.”
Por otra parte, los prelados indicaron que la inacción institucional favorece la impunidad de los grupos delictivos, porque “no reaccionar con firmeza o tolerar de cualquier modo estas prácticas significa, en cierta medida, hacerse cómplice hoy de las culpas cometidas ayer”.
Additionally, they detailed that victims suffer extreme oppression and coercion in the places where they work; in fact, they endure “wage retention,” while remaining trapped in networks of captivity.
Call to community action
The bishops called on citizens to reject labor, sexual, and domestic exploitation in all its forms. They also recommended avoiding the consumption of products that come from slave labor in the region.
Para lograr un cambio efectivo, solicitaron apoyar las acciones de prevención, orientación y protección de víctimas. Al respecto, manifestaron que la sociedad debe favorecer un desarrollo respetuoso recordando que “todos formamos una misma familia humana”.
They also stated that citizen participation is key to eradicating this social problem, because “trafficking is not invincible” if communities manage to unite their forces adequately.
Finally, they invited the population to maintain hope and constant collaboration. “In community, we can defeat it and make this world a better place for humanity,” they said.
Finally, they invited the population to maintain hope and constant collaboration. “In community, we can defeat it and make this world a better place for humanity,” they said.
They stated that society must promote respectful development, remembering that “we all belong to the same human family.”
