Trump vows ‘full efforts’ to halt Honduran migrants

TAPACHULA (Mexico): Thousands of Honduran migrants, whose trek towards the United States has triggered tirades from US President Donald Trump, forged ahead on Sunday after crossing a river into Mexico, marching for hours.

Mexican authorities had managed to block the “caravan” of migrants on a border bridge between Mexico and Guatemala, but many later crossed the river below in makeshift rafts before marching north.

An irate Trump insisted that “full efforts” were under way to halt the caravan’s progress towards the US.

“Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Souther(n) Border,” Trump tweeted.

“People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the US will turn them away.”

Nevertheless, about 3,000 people were marching in the caravan on the Mexican side.

About a thousand migrants, including women and children, were still stranded on a border bridge hoping to enter Mexico legally via Guatemala.

And another separate group of about 1,000 Hondurans started their march across Guatemala, headed for Mexico and then the US.

“No one is going to stop us, after all we’ve gone through,” said 21-year-old Aaron Juarez, who was accompanied by his wife and baby.

Honduran farmer Edwin Geovanni Enamorado said he was forced to leave his country because of intimidation by racketeering gangs.

“We are tired, but very happy. We are united and strong.”

Britany Hernandez said: “We have sunburn. We have blisters. But we got here. Our strength is greater than Trump’s threats.”

Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for fair treatment of the migrants.

“We don’t want them to face what (Mexicans) face when they need to look for work in the US.”