Mexican Archdiocese: Companies That Help Build Trump's Wall Are "Traitors"

Denouncing President Donald Trump's proposed border wall between Mexico and the United States as "an open threat that violates relations and peace," the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City said Sunday that companies who profit from its construction are "traitors to the homeland."

The country's largest archdiocese made the charge in an editorial (Spanish) published in its weekly newsletter, Desde la fe. A spokesman said the editorial represented the views of the diocese.

"Joining a project that is a serious affront to dignity, is to shoot yourself in the foot," the editorial declared. "The wall is a monument of intimidation and silence, of xenophobic hatred."

It continued: "Any company with the intention to invest in the wall of the fanatic Trump would be immoral, but above all, its shareholders and owners should be considered traitors to the homeland."

The archdiocese also blasted what it described as "the timidity of the Mexican government's economic authorities, who have not moved firmly against these companies," which it said numbered in the hundreds. "For them, the end justifies the means," the editorial said of such firms.

The Associated Press reports:

In a meeting with steel companies in Mexico last week, Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo said the government did not plan restrictions on businesses, but warned that Mexicans would judge and base future buying decisions on "which brands are loyal to the national identity, and which are not."

"I think your prestige will align with your own interests in not participating in the wall," Guajardo told the companies.

It is unclear how many Mexican companies have expressed interest in the wall.

According to Reuters:

Mexican cement maker Cemex has said it is open to providing quotes to supply raw materials for the wall but will not take part in the bidding process to build it.

Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, another company specializing in construction materials, has also signaled readiness to work on the project.

On the other side of the border, "at least 26 Hispanic-American business owners [...] have registered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to bid on government contracts to build the border wall," according to an analysis by VICE News. 

Catholic News Service reports that this is not the first time criticism of Trump has appeared in Desde la fe. "In September 2015, it called Trump 'ignorant' and a 'clown' and blasted Mexican government passivity in defending its migrants as 'unpardonable'." In February, massive anti-Trump rallies took place across the majority-Catholic country.