MEXICO: The UK’s ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin, has been dismissed following an incident where he was filmed pointing an assault rifle at an embassy employee during an official trip.
The 61-year-old diplomat was seen smiling and aiming the weapon at a person seated in the back of a diplomatic vehicle while traveling through regions plagued by drug violence.
The incident was captured on video, showing the ambassador and an unidentified local embassy employee, with laughter heard in the background. The footage was posted on Twitter by an anonymous user with the account @subdiplomat, suggesting a possible internal whistleblower from the embassy staff.
The post highlighted the fear among Mexican staff at the embassy, citing broken internal whistleblowing tools favoring British diplomats and fears of losing their jobs if they speak out.
Following the release of the video, Mr. Benjamin is no longer listed as the ambassador on the UK government website. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) acknowledged the incident and stated that appropriate action had been taken, emphasizing their robust HR processes for internal issues.
Mr. Benjamin’s diplomatic career, which began in 1986, included postings in Chile, Ghana, Turkey, Indonesia, and the United States. As of mid-April, Rachel Brazier has been serving as the charge d’affaires at the British Embassy in Mexico City, acting as the chief of mission in the ambassador’s absence.
The incident has come to light just a week before the Mexican elections, adding to the tension in a country already dealing with daily violence from drug cartels. The FCDO has not made an official announcement regarding Mr. Benjamin’s dismissal, but the UK government’s website confirms his tenure as ambassador ended in 2024.
