Father Alejandro Solalinde Guerra is a Catholic priest in Ciudad Ixtepec, Mexico. His life’s work has been to provide a place of safety for migrants. He protects them from criminal gangs who exploit and abuse them. Because of this work, gangs, officials and intolerant community members threaten Father Solalinde continuously. His life is at risk.

Father Solalinde coordinates the Catholic Pastoral Care Centre for Migrants in Southwestern Mexico (Pastoral de Movilidad Humana Pacifico Sur del Episcopado Mexicano). The shelter was set up to provide assistance to migrants who get injured or need help. Despite the constant intimidation, the authorities have done little to protect him, or to investigate the threats against him.

Father Solalinde has publicly condemned Mexican officials’ treatment of migrants without valid documents. This, too, makes him vulnerable to attack. For example, early in 2007 Father Solalinde learned that municipal officials in Ixtepec had illegally detained twelve Guatemalans. He went looking for them because he was afraid they were being handed over to human traffickers. He found the house they had just occupied. When police arrived, they did not investigate the crime scene but instead arrested Father Solalinde and 19 other migrants who were with him. Police officers used batons to force them into the back of a police pickup truck. The officers held Father Solalinde and the migrants for four hours before releasing them without any charges.

Father Solalinde in a police station with Guatemalan migrants, January 2007 © Martha Izquierdo

Every year thousands of migrants are assaulted, robbed, raped and even killed as they make their journey through Mexico to the US. The majority of these crimes are committed by criminal gangs, but there is also evidence of involvement or complicity of state officials at different levels. According to the National Human Rights Commission as many as 9,758 migrants were kidnapped between September 2008 and February 2009.

A network of migrants’ shelters in Mexico provides a few safe havens where migrants can obtain food, clothing and rest before continuing their journey.

Workers at the shelters frequently face threats and harassment in connection with their work to defend the rights and provide humanitarian assistance to migrants.

For more information see AI’s report “Invisible Victims: Migrants on the Move in Mexico”.

Father Solalinde has recorded a special video message for Amnesty supporters.

The video is in Spanish with English subtitles

Below you can read a transcript: