The Government of Mexico pays tribute to the victims of the El Paso, Texas shooting and condemns hate crimes

The Government of Mexico pays tribute to the victims of the El Paso, Texas shooting and condemns hate crimes

• Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena said it was imperative to prevent such tragedies from recurring and condemned hate speech.
• In August 2021 and October 2022, the Mexican government filed two lawsuits against U.S. gun manufacturers to combat the negligent arms trade that facilitates hate crimes.

The Consulate General in El Paso, representing the Government of Mexico, honored the 23 victims of the August 3, 2019 shooting in El Paso, Texas, nine of whom were Mexican citizens. It reiterated Mexico's condemnation of hate speech, xenophobia, white supremacy and all forms of violence, with the aim of preventing future hate crimes against the Mexican and Latino community in the United States.

During the ceremony, Mexico's Consul General in El Paso Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, El Paso Mayor Oscar Lesser and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego laid a floral wreath at the memorial outside the consulate and named the deceased.

Consul Ibarra said, "Strongly denouncing hate speech, racism, xenophobia and white supremacy is essential to prevent violent actions like this tragedy from happening again."

Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena visited the El Paso Healing Garden, a national monument commemorating the shooting victims, during her visit to Texas last April. There, she spoke out against hate speech and stressed the urgent need to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

As part of its efforts to address the negligent arms trade that enables hate crimes, the Mexican Government has taken legal action. In August 2021, it filed a civil lawsuit in Boston, Massachusetts against eleven U.S. gun manufacturers. The lawsuit alleges that these companies' negligence allows for the acquisition of high-capacity firearms, which are then smuggled into Mexico and used by organized crime groups.

Further legal action followed in October 2022 with a second lawsuit filed in the Federal District Court of Tucson, Arizona. This suit targets stores accused of negligent firearm sales. In November of the same year, Mexico also sought an advisory opinion from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the arms trade's impact on human rights.

These efforts aim to promote responsible, transparent, and accountable arms trade practices, if such trade must exist. The goal is to make it harder for both organized crime members and potential hate crime perpetrators to obtain firearms easily.

The Mexican Government, through the Foreign Ministry, reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights of the Mexican community abroad and providing comprehensive consular assistance and protection to its citizens, regardless of their immigration status.