After a 15-day hunger strike by a man seeking better treatment at Mexican consulates, what happened?
After 15 days of fasting by the coordinator of the Mexico 2024 Voto desde el extranjero (Vote From Abroad) Coalition, Ángel Noriega, and six days by teacher Olga Valle, members of the coalition show up outside the Mexican Consulate in Fresno to deliver some letters where they ask for changes for better treatment and service of the consular network.
The Mexican Consulate did not issue a comment regarding the letters from the coalition members delivered to the assigned consul of Fresno Nuria Zúñiga Alaníz.
Noriega said he voluntarily declared a hunger strike on Feb.ruary 26.
“And the reason for the hunger strike, what we are asking from Mexico is better treatment and better service from the consular network,” Noriega said. “And our demand is to the entire consular network.”
Mexico has 53 consulates in the United States, Noriega said, adding that the coalition’s demands for better treatment and service do not require legislation.
Noriega said that they also sent a letter four days ago to the offices of the president of the republic and the secretary of foreign relations.
“So far we have no answer,” Noriega said, adding that he feels his health is deteriorating with the voluntary strike he is on. “And I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”
The coalition had been promoting voter registration, inside the consulate and outside the facilities, so that Mexicans in the Central Valley can get their voter credentials to vote in the June 2024 presidential elections during December, January, and February.
“And being in this process we realized many failures, which are failures of years, many human things, despotic attitude, lack of appointments, many services that are missing in the consulate,” said Leonel Flores during a press conference on Monday morning outside the consular office in north Fresno. “But what bothered us the most was at a Flag Day event.”
The consulate honored the flag on Friday, February 23, since Flag Day fell on a Saturday.
Flores said that it bothered them that the consulate held the celebration behind “closed doors” leaving out more than 50 Mexicans and was the reason why Noriega decided to start a hunger strike.
“Because we have already done many things, petitions, vigils, demonstrations, meetings with them, but the changes are not coming,” Flores said.
Noriega said that he would like that before he abandons his hunger strike, which two more people joined, “we have an answer, not for us but for all those Mexican women and men who come to their consulate and need to process their documents.”
“This action is not an action against the government of Mexico,” Noriega said.
Noriega asks for the support of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for good service and treatment in Mexico’s consular network in the United States and other countries.
