The Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center (Frayma), located in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, was raided for the second time in less than a week. Last Friday, around 2 in the morning, the people who broke into the offices stole equipment, disabled security cameras, and subsequently stole computers, phones, and documents 'directly linked to our work of accompaniment and defense of human rights.' 'This event not only represents material damage to our institution, but also constitutes a direct risk to our work and the safety of our team members,' the center stated. The first incident occurred early Friday morning, and the second followed the next Sunday. According to security cameras, in the first raid, a group of men entered the offices located in the downtown area of the city, a busy zone. There they stole the computer equipment where each case of the thousands of migrants who come to the place to report violations of their rights is recorded. This Tuesday, the departure of a new migrant caravan from the city of Tapachula is expected. No authority responded to the call. Fearing an imminent risk to their physical integrity and that of the migrants visiting the humanitarian center, the team decided to temporarily close the offices. 'With deep sadness, but with immense anger, we announce the temporary closure of our offices for the safety of our organization members,' the center said. No authority has commented on the matter. The equipment also contains complaints, analysis, studies, and documentation on migration flows that have passed through this southern Mexican border in the last 29 years, as well as the actions of the authorities. It should be noted that Tapachula is the main city where Mexican authorities seek to contain migration seeking to reach the United States. Migrants from Africa, Asia, Indonesia, Europe, and America have passed through this city. This adds to other security incidents we have faced in recent months and which have already been reported to the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the competent authorities,' said the humanitarian center, calling for the intervention of the Attorney General's Office. Second robbery and raid Early Sunday morning, just two days after the first robbery and raid, the humanitarian center suffered a second incursion by unknown persons. The members of Frayma consider that this act clearly has the intention of intimidating them, obstructing, and dismantling their work. They detailed that during the first robbery and raid, they had requested federal and state authorities to secure the place, since they theoretically have protection measures dictated by the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.
