Two years ago today, Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez, a beautiful young 20 year old indigenous Maya-Mam woman from near Xela, was shot in the head and killed by a Border Patrol agent in Rio Bravo, Texas. She had made the long, dangerous trek towards the US in search of hope for her future. Tragically, she never made it to her destination.
I felt led to attend her wake at the family home about an hour from us in an all Mam village. It was a life-transforming experience. Seeing her lifeless body in an all-white casket, surrounded by her family and loved ones was heart-breaking. I was the only ‘gringo’ present, and was able to express my own indignation (and that of so many others) at the cruel, criminal, and inexcusable action of another white man like me. God allowed me (it’s quite a story) to ask forgiveness on behalf of my country for its dehumanizing anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, which no doubt allowed that officer to feel justified in pulling the trigger on a petite and defenseless Guatemalan woman.
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I am grateful for the beautiful unmerited seed of friendship with Claudia’s parents (Gil and Lidia). A situation that could have gone in an entirely different direction ended up with a sacred invitation last year to attend Claudia’s anniversary Mass in their home.
Source: Nate Bacon - Posted on FB 24 May 2020