Mexican agents nibble at edges of migrant caravans
Thousands of Central American migrants resumed their slow trek through southern Mexicoyesterday, as immigration agents and police nibbled at the edges of the two caravans currently in the country.
Mexican authorities haven’t directly targeted the main caravan of about 4000 migrants, and activists aiding that group said they were shifting their route toward the Gulf coast, a path closer to the Texas border.
But a second, smaller caravan about 300km behind the first group appeared more leaderless, got less press attention and was more vulnerable.
A federal official said 153 migrants in the second caravan were detained during highway inspections in the southern state of Chiapas, a short distance from the Guatemalan border. While the precise size of the second caravan is unclear, that could be equivalent to about 10 per cent of those participating.
And there was also pressure on the first caravan, which set out before dawn yesterday from Juchitan, Oaxaca, seeking to reach the town of Matias Romero, about 65km away.
They had tried to arrange bus transport from Juchitan, but failed, leaving them once again on foot, hitch-hiking and looking for rides where they can find them. But federal police began pulling freight trucks over and forcing migrants off, saying their habit of clinging to the tops or sides of the trucks was dangerous.
At other points along the route, police have forced overloaded pickups to disgorge migrants. On previous days, they have ordered passenger vans to stop transporting migrants.
The migrants have not said what route they intend to take northward or where on the US border they planned to reach.
While Matias Romero would take them toward the Gulf coast city of Veracruz and a route toward the Texas border, another large caravan early this year passed through Veracruz and then veered back toward Mexico City and eventually tried to head to Tijuana in the far northwest. Few made it.
In Matias Romero, the migrants complained of bad smells and snakes in the area where they were told to camp overnight at the entrance to the town. Local authorities told them they couldn’t occupy the main square because of Day of the Dead events.
Yesterday, the migrants decided to leave early toward Veracruz, with their destination either Donaji or Sayula de Aleman. The initial caravan has shrunk significantly from its estimated peak of more than 7000 migrants.