On October 10, 2012, José Antonio was hit by at least seven bullets coming from Border Patrol agents on the U.S. side of the metal fence that divides Nogales. He was killed instantly. The Border Patrol claimed he was throwing rocks, but that has been widely disputed. In the 18 months since, nobody has been criminally charged or otherwise disciplined for this unjust death.
Soon afterwards HEPAC, an MCC Mexico partner, approached Aracely, the mother of Jose Antonio. Since then, they have organized numerous vigils/marches in his honor, most recently April 12, 2014. These actions serve both as a memorial for Jose Antonio, and a call for justice. Mennonite Central Committee offices on both sides of the border are discussing ways to support HEPAC’s advocacy efforts to prevent future tragedies like this along the U.S./Mexico border.
The Nogales International wrote a nice piece on the April 12th march:
Friends and supporters of the Elena Rodriguez family gathered last Thursday at the site where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was shot and killed 18 months ago on Oct. 10, 2012.
About 40 people stood next to a white metal cross erected on the spot where the 16-year-old Nogales, Sonora resident was killed by at least one Border Patrol agent who fired through the border fence onto Calle Internacional during an alleged drug-smuggling and rock-throwing incident.
“A year and a half later, I feel the absence of my son even more,” said Jose Antonio’s mother Araceli Rodriguez. “It’s something that 20 years could go by and I still couldn’t get over.”
[…] ← Marching to remember Jose Antonio […]