Thousands of Central American migrants awoke Tuesday in a makeshift encampment in a rain-soaked town square in far-southern Mexico, some weary, foot-sore and coughing, still distant from their goal of reaching the U.S. border.
The caravan, estimated to include more than 7,000 people, had advanced about 45 miles (75 kilometers) since crossing the border from Guatemala, and still faced more than 1,000 miles, and likely much further, to the end of the journey.
But as the sun rose, a chorus of coughs arose from the shapeless forms wrapped in blankets and bits of plastic sheeting. Burned by the relentless heat and the night’s chill, eating badly and sleeping rough, many appeared to be developing respiratory symptoms.
Forty-eight-year-old Edwin Enrique Jimenez Flores of Tela, Honduras had one of those persistent coughs, but still vowed to reach the U.S. to seek work.
“I feel strong. My feet are good,” he said.
But Marlon Anibal Castellanos, a 27-year-old former bus driver from San Pedro Sula was finding the journey difficult as he prepared to rest Monday night. He was travelling with his wife as well as his 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.
“It’s difficult to travel with children,” he said. “Today we walked six hours” before finally paying 25 pesos — about $1.30 — from their thin savings to a passing van driver who took then the rest of the way to Huixtla.
“It’s dangerous. There are no ambulances and if the children pass out, they could die because there is no (medical) help.”
Another hazard — trucks crowded with hitch-hiking migrants — claimed one victim Monday when a man fell from the back of a truck and died.
The marchers set up a simple memorial to the man overnight, setting out a dozen small candles arranged in the shape of a cross that were kept lit through the darkness.
An activist aiding the marchers, Irineo Mujica of the People Without Borders group, said they would pause and rest on Tuesday in honor of the man who died.
“Today we won’t move. Today is a day of mourning,” he said, though many people throughout the exodus have joined and split away on their own.
Huixtla municipal worker Daniel Lopez said the leftist-governed town was offering some food, water and portable bathrooms to the migrants — as well as simple painkillers and goods such as rehydration liquids. But he said some children are running high temperatures.
A smaller caravan earlier this year headed for the distant Tijuana-San Diego crossing, dissipating as it advanced.
Only a fraction — about 200 of the 1,200 in the group — reached the California border.
The same could well happen this time around as some turn back, splinter off on their own or decide to take their chances on asylum in Mexico — as 1,128 have done so far, according to the country’s Interior Department.
While such caravans have occurred semi-regularly over the years, this one has become a hot topic ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections in the U.S., and an immigrant rights activist traveling with the group accused Trump of using it to stir up his Republican base.
“It is a shame that a president so powerful uses this caravan for political ends,” said Irineo Mujica of the group Pueblo Sin Fronteras — People Without Borders — which works to provide humanitarian aid to migrants.
By all appearances the march began as a group of about 160 who decided to band together in Honduras for protection against the criminal gangs who prey on migrants travelling alone and snowballed as the group moved north.
On Monday, Trump blamed Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador for not stopping people from leaving their countries. “We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them,” he wrote.
A team of AP journalists traveling with the caravan for more than a week has spoken with Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans, but has not met any Middle Easterners, who Trump suggested were “mixed in” with the Central American migrants.
In interviews along the journey, migrants have said they are fleeing violence, poverty and corruption.
Jimenez Flores, a truck driver, said he couldn’t return to Honduras because a gang attacked his brother and threatened him with death because he called police about four months ago.
“I spent four months hidden. I couldn’t even go into the street. I can’t go back,” he said.
(AP)
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12 Responses
I see on internet in many south and central american countries there is rampant crime, corruption, drug dealing, gang wars and kidnapping! We dot need to change the usa into one big latin country due to this! If liberals care they should politically press latin american countries to shape up! That theres something wrong if many thousands want to fllee. They can seek to help those countries but we dont need to export it here
All of these young men…er I mean families that look so famished…or healthy(?), wearing rags, err…designer labels.
So many miles, so many countries, and for what? Wages? Why didn’t the NTEU fight for a 15/hour in these countries too?? But on the plus side, I hope these people have strength in numbers to bypass the coyotes. Bleeding hearts that talk about sanctuaries never bat an eye at the coyotes and their antics.
Why arent the dems providing transportation for them.
I thought the dems were such caring people. What happened?
And Trump continues to lie…
Many of the migrants are middle easterners – lie!
Migrants arw hardened criminals – lie!
Just like he continuously lies about the value of Saudi arms deals and the jobs that are created by them.
Sickening.
Facts matter.
Lets make facts matter again.
“…….continuously lies about the value of Saudi arms deals and the jobs that are created by them….”
Oh yeah? How is that a lie? You a fake news groupie?
Speaking of Saudi Arabia, notice how the MOB is at Trump’s throat with this Khasshogi stuf, but ignoring US ties to the Saudis as far as one can remember…. especially the State Dept..
Obama opening ties with Castro murderer? NP..
Kissing Chavez, NP.
Apologizing to dictators? NP.
BTW, this Khasshoggi was a bloodthirsty Jew hater and had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the young Saudi Crown Prince wants to soften Wahabi fanaticism in Arabia and wants better ties with Israel.
What Trump does is keep his promises, accomplish milestones by the day and turn our country back from the Kenyan, who only produced a COPY of his birth certificate, if his brother is to be believed Hussein was indeed a Kenyan…. Nobody ever saw his college transcripts……. This street Alinsky’ite urged his goons to use guns if all else fails… read his campaign rhetoric again.. But Trump is a liar.. Hey crazykanoi, can we expect you to be machnis orchim the caravan with gefilte fish & stewed tzibbullios?
why are these would-be Americans carrying flags of their native countries? If they are so proud of their countries of origin, why don’t they stay put?
…. And, just heard a montage of audio clips from CNN on another station ( I can’t bear watching CNN)..
Guess what ??
Crazykanoiy babbles their plapplerei word for word, for word, for word, for word.. A virtual parrot.
Couple that with watching his virulent anti- Medinah Shittah flushed down the toilet, what with POTUS recognizing Jerusalem and cutting $$$$$ to PA, and he’s chewing carpets.
I have to admit hadassa asks a good question. My limited capabilities see only two choices: they either are proud of their country “as is” (which begs the question why would they leave) or else they hate their country “as is” but hope to start a revolution back home (but from a safe distance and protected) to “make it” into the country they want it to be. Or perhaps a third option – to start (join) a revolution in the U.S. In either case seems that just opens more questions.
I do feel personal about this. My parents (actually, me also as a child along with them) came as refugees from the so-called Hungarian revolution. We never carried Hungarian flags, My parents never wanted to go back despite plenty of opportunity – they never did go back despite property they left behind and thus never claimed. And all the Jewish people I know – who come from a plethora of European and even Muslim countries – are similar. So I feel completely bewildered by these reputed refugees in the photo.
And all this does is HURT those who are REAL refugees and REALLY should be helped.
Zion Gate – “How is that a lie”
Here’s how:
The Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale points out:
On March 20, during the Crown Prince’s visit, Trump claimed the Saudi purchases of U.S. weapons he arranged would generate “over 40,000 jobs in the United States.”
Last Saturday, Oct. 13, when Trump was asked if he’s considering punishing Saudi Arabia for murdering Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump mentioned the same arms deal as the reason he was reluctant to stop the arms sales. That time, he said the deal created 450,000 jobs.
On Wednesday, Oct. 17, during a Fox Business interview, Trump inflated the statistic to 500,000 jobs.
On Friday, at lunchtime during a water rights memorandum signing, Trump increased the jobs number to 600,000.
A few hours later, on Friday evening at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, Trump said the deal was worth 600,000 jobs for the military but “over a million jobs” in total.
Trump is a liar.
Facts matter.
Make Facts Matter Again.
Zion Gate –
Trump’s Lie:
“I believe it’s the largest order ever made. It’s 450,000 jobs. It’s the best equipment in the world.”
Fact:
Aerospace Industries Association says that in 2016, there were 355,500 manufacturing jobs supported by the entire defense and national security industry.
Facts are not Fake News.
Zion Gate:
“Israel will pay a higher price” – Donald Trump in West Virginia
“Palestinians will get something very good because it is their turn next”- Donald Trump in West Virginia
“I can be as tough with Bibi as I have been with the Palestinians.” – Donald Trump to Emanuel Macron
ZG you have a little catch 22 situation. because if Trump is truthful in what he says he is obviously not the messiah that you make him our to be.
the Univision news team which is a Hispanic American channel that is embedded and covering news in the caravan DID FIND Bangladeshis in Israel the caravan!