British ambassador to Mexico sacked after pointing gun at embassy staff

The British ambassador to Mexico was discreetly removed from his post earlier this year after footage surfaced of him pointing an assault rifle at a local embassy employee. The incident became public when a video was shared on social media.

According to the Financial Times, Jon Benjamin was on an official visit to Durango and Sinaloa—two states known for their significant organised crime activity—when he pointed the gun at a colleague. In the brief five-second clip, the embassy staff member appears visibly uncomfortable. The firearm is believed to have been part of the security detail accompanying the diplomat, who was dismissed shortly after the incident in April.

The video was posted by an anonymous account on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the comment: “In a context of daily killings in Mexico by drug dealers, he dares to joke.”

Mexico has experienced over 30,000 homicides annually for the past six years, one of the highest murder rates in Latin America. This violence is predominantly driven by organised crime groups fighting for control over territory and businesses, according to The Guardian UK.

Jon Benjamin, aged 61, is no longer listed as the ambassador on the UK government’s official website. He was appointed UK ambassador to Mexico in 2021, after a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, with previous postings in Chile, Turkey, Ghana, Indonesia, and the United States.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Guardian UK, but told the Financial Times: “We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action. The FCDO has robust HR processes to address internal issues when they arise.”

Diplomatic relations between the UK and Mexico, Latin America’s second-largest economy, have generally been cordial and uneventful. The two countries have been negotiating a new free trade agreement since 2022.

Meanwhile, Mexico, on Sunday, elected Claudia Sheinbaum as its first female president, succeeding her popular predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The election campaign was reportedly marred by violence, with more than 30 candidates assassinated and hundreds more withdrawing due to threats from organised crime groups seeking to influence political outcomes.

In a tragic event on Wednesday, the final day of the campaign, a gunman filmed himself fatally shooting opposition mayoral candidate José Alfredo Cabrera in Coyuca de Benítez, Guerrero. The assailant was subsequently killed by Cabrera’s bodyguards, according to The Guardian UK.

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