Chapter 2029 - 840: Everything’s in Complete Chaos! (3)

The full text of the President's speech, including the parts that were cut off.

Bramo stood beside him.

"Polls show that not only did the anti-Mexican demonstrations not decrease after his speech, they actually increased. Over in Texas, there are gatherings at the state parliament demanding 're-independence.' In California, some tech companies in Silicon Valley have started laying off Mexican employees, citing 'economic difficulties'."

Victor nodded.

"It's inevitable. When a country begins to crumble, people's first reaction isn't reflection, isn't solidarity, it's finding a scapegoat."

He stood up and walked to the map.

Central America and South America were marked in green on the map.

"How are things in Costa Rica?"

Bramo opened the file.

"Colonel Garcia's report. The situation at San Miguel Port is temporarily stable, 'Scorpion' is still detained and being questioned. But the situation in the surrounding countries isn't good. Over in Nicaragua, the opposition armed groups have been active recently, reportedly with external support. In Salvador and Honduras, drug cartels are infiltrating, and the Government Forces simply can't stop them."

Victor's finger brushed over the map.

"What about Guatemala?"

"It's the most troublesome."

Bramo said, "The Guatemalan Government Forces have been fighting the Anti-Government Armed Forces for thirty years and just signed a peace agreement last year. But even with the agreement signed, the fighting hasn't stopped. In recent months, at least twenty thousand refugees have flowed into the Mexican border, all fleeing from Guatemala."

Victor was silent for a few seconds.

"Refugees?"

"Yes. The Anti-Government Armed Forces control some border areas, and the Government Forces can't break through, so those people are fleeing. Our people have counted, just last month, over five thousand refugees entered Mexico from Guatemala."

Victor turned around.

"What does the Guatemalan government say?"

"They haven't said anything. They can't keep up."

Victor returned to the window.

Outside, the sky over Mexico City was very blue, and the sunlight was brilliant. But beyond that blue and sunlight, to the south, in the mountains of Central America, there are people fighting, people fleeing, people dying.

"Inform the Foreign Ministry," he said, "to issue a statement. Just say the Mexican Government is seriously concerned about the situation in Central America, and calls for all parties to ceasefire and ensure civilian safety."

Bramo nodded.

"Also," Victor added, "notify the Department of Defense, border forces to enter level two combat readiness. If the refugee crisis continues to expand, we need to be prepared to receive them."

Casare hesitated for a moment.

"Boss, accepting refugees? That's tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people."

Victor looked at him.

"What else? Let them die at the border?"

The Guatemala border.

The gunfire started at four in the morning.

The Anti-Government Armed Forces' guerrillas attacked a border outpost of the Government Forces, killing seven soldiers and seizing a batch of weapons and ammunition. The Government Forces retaliated, pursued into the mountains, and then walked into an ambush.

By the time the sun came out, dozens of corpses lay across the mountain road.

Some were Government Forces, some were guerrillas, and some—were local villagers.

Those still alive began to flee.

Men carrying children, women holding bundles, the elderly leaning on canes, walked north along the mountain road. They didn't know where they were going, only that heading north would reach Mexico, would mean survival.

On the border line, the Mexican troops had already set up a barbed wire fence.

Not the kind with spikes, but a simple, temporary wire fence just enough to stop people.

A Mexican Captain stood behind the wire fence, looking at those running toward them.

More and more.

Like a tide.

He raised a loudspeaker. ℯℯ𝑙.

"Stop! Ahead is Mexican territory! No entry without documents!"

Those people didn't stop.

They couldn't understand Spanish, or if they did, they weren't concerned.

The Captain shouted again.

Still no stop.

He turned around to look at the officer behind him.

"What do we do?"

The officer didn't speak.

The Captain gritted his teeth.

"Let them in."

The officer was taken aback.

"Captain, there's no order—"

The Captain interrupted him, "Let them in."

The wire fence was opened at a point.

Those people flooded in like water, through that point, past the Captain, into the land of Mexico.

Someone fell, was stepped over by those behind, screaming, then the sound was drowned out by more footsteps.

The Captain stood aside, looking at those faces.

Tired faces, frightened faces, numb faces, crying faces, children's faces, elderly faces, women's faces.

He remembered his grandmother.

Grandmother also fled from Guatemala, she was sixteen that year, alone, ran for three days, crossed the border, settled in a small Mexican village, then married, had children, lived until eighty-nine.

If not for Mexico that year, grandmother would have died.

Now it's Mexico's turn.

Victor looked at the report just sent back from the border.

In the past twenty-four hours, Guatemalan refugees entering Mexico—thirteen thousand.

He lifted his head.

"Any response from the Guatemalan government?"

Bramo shook his head.

"No. They're still battling the guerrillas."

Victor was silent for a few seconds.

"Tell the Foreign Ministry to issue a more formal diplomatic note. Demand the Guatemalan government ensure border safety and control the refugee flow. Also, notify the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, that Mexico needs international assistance."

Bramo nodded.

"And," Victor said, "have Garcia over there speed up. Once 'Scorpion' is questioned, send him directly to the border to see those refugees."