Coyotes or defenders of migrants? Criminalization of pro-migrants activism in caravan times

Abstract

The objective of this work is to analyze the criminalization of the defenders of migrants in Mexico that has occurred simultaneously to the phenomenon of migrant caravans. Through a case study, that of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, we analyze the speeches and actions of the Mexican authorities that criminalize this civil society organization. We pay special attention to the use of the human smuggling crime to harass and prosecute migrant defenders and build a narrative against them, that is, their practical and discursive coyotization.