© Evan Moss
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Carlos Gutierrez refused to pay the local gang’s demands for protection money for his thriving catering business in Mexico, so they cut off his legs at the knees.
Now he has cycled the state of Texas with his prosthetic legs to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers from Mexico such as himself. Mexicans are far less likely to have their plea granted for asylum in the United States than applicants from other countries such as Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia, even though they face similar prospects of violence and persecution if they were to return to the country they fled.
Gutierrez spent days cycling through Texas and talking to people about the issue, hoping to prompt lawmakers and the general public to consider updating legislation pertaining to the conditions under which asylum is granted.
Find out more about this on News.com.au.