New Central American caravan enters Mexico

MEXICO CITY: A new Central American migrant caravan entered Mexico early Friday, Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration (INM) announced.

Some 350 migrants reached the city of Tapachula in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas after cutting the padlocks at the MexicoGuatemala border crossing. In its report, the INM said the people in the caravan were hostile as they attacked police along their journey.

The violent incursion occurred around 3:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) and afterward the migrants began heading toward Tapachula. Other migrants who were already in the area joined the group and the number swelled to some 800 people, the INM said. Police in charge of highway surveillance in the area asked motorists via its Twitter account to take precautions since the caravan was partially obstructing passage along the highway.

Some migrants said they crossed into Mexico through the border bridge between Mexico’s Ciudad Hidalgo and Guatemala’s Tecun Uman, while others said they crossed the Suchiate River, which separates the two countries.

Mexican media outlets reported that the caravan left northern Honduras on Wednesday. The caravan that entered Mexico was largely made up of Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadorans looking to cross Mexico on their way to the US border.

This new caravan set off even after US President Donald Trump reiterated on 5 April that the United States “is full” and will not accept any asylum applicants. The mass migration of Central Americans in caravans has increased since October 2018, aggravating relations between Mexico and the US.