Mexican blame game over migrant deaths fuels tension in presidency race

Migrants hold a candle vigil outside the office of the National Institute of Migration (INM) in memory of the victims of a fire that broke out late on Monday at a migrant detention center, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

The fire at a Mexican migrant holding center that killed dozens has triggered recriminations inside and outside President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government, exposing tensions in his party ahead of next year's presidential election.

Thirty-nine people died in the facility in the border city of Ciudad Juarez opposite El Paso, Texas. Lopez Obrador initially said the blaze was started by detained migrants protesting their impending deportation.