City Inspector Humiliating Young Tzotzil Street Vendor (VIDEO)

Here's a sad story with a happy ending! This little 10 year old, native Tzotzil boy was on the streets of Villahermosa, the capital of the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. selling candy and cigarettes to pay for school supplies, when a City Inspector takes his cigarettes (illegal for children to buy or sell) and proceeds to humiliate the boy to tears.

A city inspector, identified as Juan Diego Lopez, spots the boy, confronts him and takes several packs of cigarettes from his basket. It is prohibited in Mexico for minors to buy or sell cigarettes.

In the video, Manuel can be seen weeping inconsolably as the inspector forces him to take all the candy in his basket, handful by handful, and toss it on the pavement. The cost of the candy and cigarettes could well be more than the boy would earn with a week's work.

As the inspector walks off with the boy's cigarettes, another man steps forward to help him try to pick up the sweets, and Manuel collapses into a squatting position, covering his face with his arms, rocking back and forth and sobbing loudly. The encounter took place on Monday.

The Tabasco state prosecutors' office said the boy's aunt, Maria Diaz Diaz, said she had brought Manuel to Villahermosa about 10 days earlier. She said the boy lives with his grandparents in the Tzotzil Indian village of San Juan Chamula, in neighboring Chiapas state, and wanted to work during his summer vacation to raise money for school supplies in the fall. Mexican children get free textbooks, but often have to buy their own pencils, paper and uniforms.

Thanks to social media, this video got lots of attention, and that child abusing bureaucratic scum got fired!

The video was viewed hundreds of thousands of times over the last few days, and on Friday the governmental National Human Rights Commission announced it would investigate the case. The city announced on Wednesday that it has fired the inspector.

Hopefully, this incident will encourage people to start a fund for impoverished school children's school supplies so that they don't have to sell candy and cigarettes to buy paper and pencils!

Tabasco state Gov. Arturo Nunez announced Thursday his administration would give Manuel and his family "a scholarship, as well as all medical and psychological help for the boy."

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How can someone like that even call himself a Man?

Cops are bullies the World over but to single out a kid selling candy to survive is beyond disgusting.

Put a badge on someone and they lose their humanity it seems.

Peace

reply to post by windword

This is quite sad.
I can understand that children shouldn't be dealing in tobacco (although I'm sure it happens in lots of places were kids help out at family stores), but candy???
However, it seems that at least the candies were wrapped, and they're putting it back in the basket.

On the other hand, was it really necessary to fire this man?
I have seen much worse from cops in SA.
He wasn't violent.
Maybe he could have been given a second chance by a workshop on community relations.
Perhaps he was even lenient, and he could have confiscated everything and arrested the child for hawking (not sure on child labor or trading laws in the specific country).

What if this man also has children?
Won't they be crying too if their father has no more income and employment?

reply to post by halfoldman


You're right firing him is a bit harsh at face value. Perhaps the city inspector was fired for stealing the cigarettes and pocketing the smokes for himself, rather that filing the paper work and turning over the confiscated contraban.

It's abhorrent to dehumanize anyone, but a child? I was furious when I saw this the other day, and was relieved when I read the little guy was going to get some help.

I don't really find firing the inspector harsh. He demonstrated a complete lack of empathy, he essentially stole from a child and did so brazenly. Imagine what he's doing behind closed doors. I don't wish the guy any harm, we all have jackass moments and in the grand scheme of things this little event pales in comparison to everything else going on, but still, what a douchebag.

Originally posted by halfoldman
reply to post by windword

 

On the other hand, was it really necessary to fire this man?
I have seen much worse from cops in SA.
He wasn't violent.
Maybe he could have been given a second chance by a workshop on community relations.
Perhaps he was even lenient, and he could have confiscated everything and arrested the child for hawking (not sure on child labor or trading laws in the specific country).

I had something similar happen to me as a child. Different country and circumstances. It may sound silly but I still think about it to this day.

I don't think it should take a workshop to understand how these things can impact children. Unless there is some elaborate back story that the child had been warned multiple times in a row I can't really fathom the need to be mean like that.

reply to post by Pinke

I'm not meaning to excuse what he did (although I don't know the laws, perhaps by the book he could have arrested the child and fined the parents).

I'm just wondering if the cop has a wife and children, and how his unemployment will affect them?

I'd just hope this a win/win situation, especially for all the children involved.

Humane and just solutions have many angles, not just an emotive moment.

What if next we see his children on Youtube crying because they haven't eaten and have no money for school?
That's also not a just solution.

Originally posted by halfoldman
reply to post by Pinke

 

I'm not meaning to excuse what he did (although I don't know the laws, perhaps by the book he could have arrested the child and fined the parents).

I'm just wondering if the cop has a wife and children, and how his unemployment will affect them?

I have the same thought about the pepper spray / student incidents etc where people are hunted down and demonized etc ...

I'm not sure what the answer to that is. I think the person maybe is getting a second chance if he is not being followed by revenge groups, and is being allowed to learn and move on from the incident maybe? Seems sometimes these persons get hunted to the ends of the earth.