Minister Marcelo Ebrard asserted that the resolution issued by the Organization of American States (OAS) to condemn the terrorist attack of El Paso, Texas, forces the United States to implement measures to prevent supremacist and xenophobic movements to spread in that nation.
Now “there will be a vital instrument of high relevance, which is the duty of the U.S. to take proper and necessary actions so that this is not spread in the U.S., but the declaration also allows Mexico to be able to demand the declaration. It is not a declaration of mere generic policy, but a declaration that involves obligations ,” he said.
Ebrard insisted on this being an important achievement of Mexican diplomacy , for the government will have to protect the Mexican-American community and Mexicans in that nation.
In a meeting with Morena’s parliamentary group in the House of Representatives , which today holds the first day of its plenum to define the legislative agenda of the next ordinary period, the minister of Foreign Affairs (SRE) , detailed the future tasks and what has been achieved by the agency.
He highlighted, among them, the resolution of the OAS, with which all the States are committed to taking proper actions “a gainst xenophobia, racism, suprematism for the first time referred to the incident in El Paso, Texas, in which an American citizen murdered, among others, eight Mexicans that were legally on American land ,” he said.
Yesterday, the Permanent Council of the OAS approved by acclamation the proposal of declaration presented by the Mexican permanent mission in the agency to condemn the terrorist attack of August 3rd in El Paso, Texas .
The declaration is a “strong condemn” to “racial discrimination and crimes moved by hate, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance, including racial superiority speech;” the alleged motives that lead the alleged perpetrator to enter a mall and shoot on sight as “an answer to Hispanic invasion in Texas,” as he exposed in a manifest online.
Later on, the perpetrator, Patrick Crusius , would tell the police that his objective was to kill as many “Mexicans” as he could.
On Wednesday, Mexico’s government thanked the support of member countries of the OAS for unanimously backing the declaration condemning the terrorist attack of El Paso.
Through his Twitter account, Ebrard highlighted the support of the Cuban government “I deeply thank the support of Cuba to the declaration proposed by Mexico and approved by acclamation in the Organization of American States,” he wrote.
The representative of Mexico at the OAS , Luz Elena Baños , emphasized that Mexico strongly rejects the mentioned terrorist attack “because it undermines all kinds of human dignity ” enshrined in the Charter of the OAS and contradicts the principles of peaceful coexistence promoted by multilateralism.
“From the OAS, and beside the bust of Benito Juárez , Mexico celebrates the adoption by acclamation of the declaration to strongly condemn the terrorist acts that took place in El Paso, Texas, last August 3rd; our country thanked the support of the member countries,” said Luz Elena Baños .
“The terrorist act perpetrated in El Paso makes us deeply appalled because it was an aggression directed to Mexican nationals moved by racism, hate speech against migrants, and racial supremacy. That is, for the mere fact of being Mexican,” reminded Baños Rivas.
All delegates of member countries of the OAS applauded after the presentation of Baños Rivas, this approving by acclamation Mexico’s proposal.
“We consider it is a very good precedent that the organization is fully aware of this phenomenon that is developing and that is quite dangerous for the coexistence of all our nations,” said Baños Rivas to EL UNIVERSAL . She asserted to be “honored” for having presented the issue before the organism and especially of “having achieved [the approval] by acclamation of this declaration.”
The gesture, for Baños Rivas, must be used also to “make visible the phenomenon of the violence and terrorism caused by hate speech against migrants and racial suprematism,” especially after a “terrorist” attack.
Despite this denounce, she did not want to quote explicitly U.S. President Donald Trump .
“It is not our duty [ to point out Trump],” said Baños Rivas. “What we have to do is what is happening to us in c ommon denominators , which are the problems and challenges , and how we are facing them jointly.”
She added “Mexico is a true believer of multilateralism and I think our main mission is accomplished: to condemn the events and ask for those responsible to be punished. To say that Mexico rejects and will stay by the side of its community in the U.S. and all the world, fighting for their rights: that is our main mission. ”
The declaration must be used to “ acknowledge the measure of this tragedy and be a source of strength for those harmed and the relatives of the victims” of a “ senseless ” attack.
After the approval, the representative of the United States highlighted that the tragedy of El Paso highlighted binational “links” between both countries and the need to collaborate and cooperate so that these events never happen again. He asserted that racism “is a joint challenge.”
Mexico has asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) to address the issue in its next session period, to be held next month in Washington , especially the legal protection of victims of terrorist acts moved by hate speech .
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