Migrant caravan advances in Mexico towards the US

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SUCHIATE, Mexico (AP) — Nearly 1,000 migrants who recently crossed from Guatemala into Mexico formed a caravan Saturday to head north together in hopes of reaching the U.S. border.

The contingent, the majority of which are Venezuelan migrants, was moving on foot along a highway in southern Mexico and flying a Venezuelan flag with the phrase “peace, freedom. SOS”.

The men, women, children and adolescents were accompanied to the rear by patrols of the National Guard of Mexico.

Some migrants told The Associated Press that they crossed illegally into Mexico via the Suchiate River that divides the two countries. They decided to start the march in a caravan because many were already sleeping on the streets and they had run out of money to buy food.

“We only ask that they let us move forward, we are not saying that we are going to stay here in Mexico, we just want to move forward, reach the American dream and work because here we are all workers,” said Gloria Roseli from Venezuela while resting for a moment on a highway. .

Roseli was carrying a backpack and a rolled-up foam that she uses to sleep on. She said that she already had a week in Mexico until she joined the contingent.

The migrants said they received little assistance from Mexican immigration authorities, who also gave them confusing and conflicting instructions on how to navigate or apply for asylum in the United States.

The formation of this migrant caravan in southern Mexico takes place amid the record flow of people heading to the United States from various Latin American countries. In the 12 months to May 2023, US authorities reported nearly 2.5 million encounters with migrants at its southern border, an increase over the previous year.

The journey is fraught with danger as migrants are often victims of kidnapping, extortion and other forms of violence by armed criminal groups in the region. Due to these adverse situations, migrants often travel in caravans of hundreds of people to stay safe.

Venezuelan migrants have previously sought refuge in other South American countries such as Colombia and Peru, but more and more are making the perilous journey through the inhospitable jungle in the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama in their bid to reach the United States.