he floating barrier, which is intended to block migrants crossing from Mexico, was installed last month without federal authorization, according to the US Justice Department, which is suing the state of Texas over its use of the buoys.

The Mexican government has also decried Abbott’s decision to float the buoys. Last week, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Alicia Bárcena Ibarra said her country had sent its second diplomatic note to the US complaining about the barriers.

They not only violate two treaties between the US and Mexico, she said, but a slide that accompanied her remarks claimed that a portion of the 305 meters of deployed buoy is on “Mexican territory.”

López Obrador on Thursday warned that the buoys violated Mexico’s “sovereignty and human rights,” adding that “we are already demanding that these buoys be removed.”

  • nondescript_citizen@lemmy.fmhy.net
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    1 year ago

    So wait, what are these buoys made of? Razor wire? I’m confused as to how buoys could have lead to two deaths—the article doesn’t go into much detail on what the buoys actually are. Sorry if I sound ignorant, I’m trying to understand. It’s just that my only experience with buoys are the ones at lakes and such.

    • ivanafterall@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I was reading up on them earlier. They are tethered to the river bed and underneath the buoys is mesh netting. The buoys themselves also rotate, so that you cannot climb over them. My assumption is the currents sweep them into the netting, but I’m not sure. It’s really fucked up and they should honestly dump Greg Abbott in the river and see how he fares with the buoys.

      • nondescript_citizen@lemmy.fmhy.net
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        1 year ago

        Jesus fucking christ, those things are massive!! Yeah, seeing them next to actual people definitely puts it into perspective. I can certainly see why they’re called cruel. They pretty much send a message of ‘we don’t want you here and we’d prefer it if you’d die trying, actually’

        • livus@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          The other thing you can’t see is the netting underneath them. It’s a death trap.