“Socalj” from Borderland Beat
From an Independent UK article and leaked video via @subdiplomat
The UK’s ambassador to Mexico has been sacked after he was caught on camera aiming an assault rifle at an embassy employee on an official trip through drug cartel heartlands.
Jon Benjamin, 61, was seen smiling before looking through the sight of the weapon and pointing it at the person sitting in the back seat of the diplomatic vehicle during an official trip to two Mexican states ravaged by drug killings.
The unidentified employee from a local embassy is seen gesturing to the ambassador and camera as laughter is heard in the background.
The account added: “Mexican staff members of the embassy are terrified of speaking up about these injustices because internal whistleblowing tools are broken and favour British diplomats. They are afraid to lose their livelihoods if they speak up.
“We are desperate for justice.”
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| Benjamin gives Liz Truss a tour of Mexico City during her time as foreign secretary. |
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not officially announced Mr. Benjamin’s position. However, the government’s official website states that he “was UK ambassador to Mexico between 2021 and 2024.”
According to the website, Mr Benjamin “joined the diplomatic service in 1986, and previously represented the British government in Chile, Ghana, Turkey, Indonesia, and the United States, during his 35-year career.”
The FCDO said in a statement: “We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action…Where internal issues do arise, the FCDO has robust HR processes to address them.”
Since mid-April, Rachel Brazier has been charge d’affaires at the British Embassy in Mexico City, a role where a diplomat serves as an embassy’s chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador.
Mexicans will vote on Sunday in a historic election shadowed by cartel violence.
Sources Indpendent, @subdiplomat