Church accuses Mexicans who help build border wall of being ‘traitors’
THE Roman Catholic Church in Mexico has condemned as “traitors” any local companies or people who help build US President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
As some Mexican firms considered profiting from the multibillion dollar project, the Archdiocese of Mexico, which covers the capital city, described them as “immoral”.
An editorial in ‘Desde la fe’, the archdiocese’s weekly journal, was titled “Treason against the Homeland” and lambasted Mr Trump as a “fanatic”.
It said large numbers of Mexican companies were interested in supplying cement, paint, lighting and other raw materials for the wall.
“It is not two or three, but more than 500 companies. For them, the end justifies the means,” the archdiocese said.
“Any company intending to invest in the wall of the fanatic Trump would be immoral. But, above all, its shareholders and owners should be considered traitors to the homeland.”
The Church also criticised the Mexican government for “timidity” and called on it to clamp down on Mexican construction firms getting involved. “In practice, signing up for a project that is a serious affront to dignity is shooting yourself in the foot,” the archdiocese added. “The wall is a monument of intimidation and silence, of xenophobic hatred.”
Cemex, the Mexican cement maker, is among those considering providing quotes to supply raw materials for the wall, but has said it will not take part in the bidding process to build it.
Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, another construction company, has also indicated a willingness to be involved.
Last week Ildefonso Guajardom, Mexico’s economy minister, warned the country’s construction firms it would not be in their “interests” to work on the wall. Mr Trump’s pledge to build the wall to stop illegal immigrants crossing the border was a key campaign promise.