'Yes, they were held by a criminal group': mother of one of the Colombian women in Mexico

The mother of one of the eight Colombian women reported missing in Tabasco. in Mexico, she contradicted local and federal authorities, since assures that members of a criminal group did keep the young women against their will.

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“No, they were detained, obviously it was against her will because those girls did not want to be there; “She had them in a group, I don't know what group, I don't know, but I know it's something illegal,” the family member told XEVT telereport and broadcast on Ciro Gómez Leyva's program.

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The woman indicated that during the nine days they were held captive by the criminals, they received food and a single cell phone that they all used to communicate with their families, but they had to share it.

“They were held, they were given food, yes, they fell asleep, they were always given a (cell phone) number so that they could all take turns, one every hour they had it, so they could communicate with us.”

The mother, who decided to omit her identity, described that His daughter always cried in distress when he spoke to her on the phone..

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“She told me: Mom, we're bored of being locked up here.; They always cried, all the girls, when they talked to us, always cried, distressed,” she said.

He assured that It was by decision of those who had detained them that they released them, since public opinion weighed on them..

“The people who had them, thanks to the pressure of public opinion, released them. But there was no rescue, they never did that.”

The Colombian consulate in Mexico reported that once the Tabasco Prosecutor's Office delivers the young women to the National Migration Institute (INM), they will be returned to Colombia, where they will be received by the Anti-Trafficking Operational Center where they and their families will be protected. .

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The discovery

It was last Saturday, January 13, when the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) of Tabasco reported that, with the support of the State Government, the National Guard, the Mexican Army and the National Anti-Kidnapping Coordination (Conase), operations were carried out until with the whereabouts of the eight young women.

The FGE reported that, Through intelligence work, the young women were located in a town in the municipality of Cárdenas, in that Mexican state, to where the law enforcement forces moved..

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In this area, field work was done and information was obtained about the possibility that potential victims were being taken to the capital of the entity.

“Based on said data, their location was achieved in a hotel in the Anacleto Canabal ranch, fourth section, on the Villahermosa-Cárdenas highway, where they were found safe and sound,” said the local prosecutor's office.

The case, which made headlines in the Mexican media last Friday, arose afterThe Colombian consulate in Cancún (Quintana Roo state, southeast) reported the alleged disappearance of the women after attending a party, on January 5, in the nearby state of Tabasco..

A television report Image indicated that the Colombian women had been hired as “escorts” (men's companions) to attend the party, but one of them reported that they were detained and beaten.

According to the medium, The women were allegedly forced by human traffickers, who took their passports and demanded that they pay about 7,000 dollars to get them back (about 28 million Colombian pesos)..

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Wasn't it a kidnapping?

The women were found last Saturday night by Tabasco authorities in a highway motel and stated that “by their will they remained at the place of the party until the day they were located,” explained the Undersecretary of Security, Luis Rodríguez Bucio. , during the morning conference at the National Palace.

The official added that an audio that one of them sent to a relative in Colombia, and that was broadcast by Mexican media that reported the case, was recorded when she was “under the influence of alcohol and sentimental.”

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“They denied being held or kidnapped, one of them even edited a video where she stated that she was under the influence of alcohol and sentimentality when she contacted her relative in Colombia and said she was surprised to find out that they were looking for them,” he noted.

The Colombian women, between 19 and 31 years old, “denied having been kidnapped or held against their will,” the Undersecretary of Security clarified to the press.

Rodríguez Bucio assured that “all (the Colombian women) are dedicated to the escort service and were hired for a private party through a chat.” The federal official stated that all the Colombians “by their will remained at the party site until January 13”.

The official explained that seven of the women were in charge of the National Migration Institute (INM), which has already begun the process of “assisted return” to Colombia “for falsifying their declaration of entry to Mexico as tourists and carrying out paid activities.” One of them, identified as Xiomara “N”, will remain in Mexico as she has refugee status.he added.

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The eight are housed in an INM facility in Villahermosa, capital of Tabasco.

The Colombian women entered Mexico on different dates between May 2022 and last December and only two have a valid stay, the government reported.

In the midst of the wave of migrants seeking to reach the United States through Mexico, there have been different cases of foreign women who are victims of sex trafficking.

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With information from EL UNIVERSAL (MEXICO) / GDA and AFP Agency