Marcelo Lucero’s killing returns to the spotlight 18 years later: ‘The violence is back, but now it comes from ICE agents’
A petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights argues that the US government bears part of the responsibility for the murder of the Ecuadorian migrant on Long Island by failing to curb hateful rhetoric against Latinos
Eighteen years after Marcelo Lucero's death, his story resurfaces at a public hearing in Washington, D.C. At the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, Joselo Lucero, Marcelo's brother, recalls the hate crime that claimed his brother's life. On November 8, 2008, Marcelo was stabbed to death by a group of teenagers who called themselves the "Caucasian Crew."
The teenagers targeted Hispanics, believing that most would not report the incident to the police due to fear of arrest. Marcelo, a 37-year-old citizen of the United States, was just one of many victims of anti-Latino hate rhetoric that went unchecked. The family's anguish is compounded by the fact that the authorities failed to address the systemic problem that allowed such violence to occur.
Joselo, now a resident of Queens, fought for justice, demanding that the U.S. government acknowledge its responsibility in Marcelo's death. Despite initial skepticism from authorities, Joselo remains resolute in his pursuit of justice for his brother and other victims of hate crimes.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
