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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 16 OcTOber 2018

Honduran migrant caravan crosses Guatemala border, US-bound

By SONIA PEREZ D. expert on human rights and
Associated Press U.S. policy in Honduras, said
OCOTOPEQUE, Honduras the caravan could have
(AP) — A caravan of hun- political implications in the
dreds of Honduran migrants United States less than a
crossed the Guatemalan month before the midterm
border under a broiling sun elections.
Monday hoping to make it “Whatever the caravan’s
to new lives in the United origins, some in the United
States, far from the poverty States will be quick to raise
and violence of their home alarms about a supposed
nation. dangerous immigrant in-
Singing the Honduran na- vasion, and use that to try
tional anthem, praying and to influence the upcoming
chanting, “Yes, we can,” U.S. elections,” Frank said.
the group estimated at “Others will view these mi-
1,600 or more defied an grants with compassion
order by the Guatemalan and as further evidence of
government that they not the need for comprehen-
be allowed to pass. sive immigration reform, a
“We have rights,” the mi- loving approach to those in
grants shouted. such terrible straits and an
Keilin Umana, a 21-year-old Hondurans march in a caravan of migrants moving toward the country’s border with Guatemala end to U.S. support for the
who is two months preg- in a desperate attempt to flee poverty and seek new lives in the United States, in Ocotepeque, repressive Honduran gov-
nant, said she was moved Honduras, Monday, Oct. 15, 2018. ernment that is behind this
to migrate to save herself Associated Press humanitarian disaster.”
and her unborn child after with his 7-year-old son, said migrants water, and some timate of around 2,000 on Frank added that the cara-
she was threatened with the poverty back home locals drove Hondurans Monday. van’s rapid growth “under-
death. has made it impossible to part of the way. Red Cross The caravan formed a scores quite how desper-
“A letter arrived at my support a family. workers gave medical at- day after U.S. Vice Presi- ate the Honduran people
house saying I could not “Every day I earn about tention to some migrants dent Mike Pence urged the are — that they’d begin
stay, that I had to leave, or $5,” Cortez said. “That isn’t who fainted in the heat. presidents of Honduras, El walking toward refuge in
else they were going to kill enough to feed my family.” The caravan began as Salvador and Guatemala the United States with only
me,” said Umana, who is a The caravan was met at about 160 people who to persuade their citizens to a day back full of belong-
nurse. the border by about 100 first gathered early Friday stay home and not put their ings.”
“I was in hiding awhile,” Guatemalan police offi- to depart from San Pedro families in danger by un- Honduras is largely domi-
she added. “It’s because cers. After a tense stand- Sula, one of Honduras’ dertaking the risky journey nated by murderous gangs
I have this tattoo on my off of about two hours, the most dangerous places, to the United States. that prey on families and
hand — it’s not a gang migrants began walking figuring that traveling as a In April, President Donald businesses, and routinely
thing. Look, it’s the name of again. Outnumbered, the group would make them Trump threatened in April sees homicide rates that
my father and mother.” police did nothing to stop less vulnerable to robbery, to withdraw foreign aid are among the highest in
Umana said she had been them but merely accom- assault and other dangers from Honduras and coun- the world.
walking for four days. “We panied them several miles common on the migra- tries that allowed transit for Mexico’s Interior Ministry is-
are not criminals — we are (kilometers) into Guatema- tory path through Central a similar caravan that set sued a reminder over the
migrants,” she said. lan territory. America and Mexico. out from the Central Ameri- weekend that Mexico does
Many in the caravan trav- Officers later set up a road- Local media coverage can country. That caravan not issue entry visas for
eled light, with just back- block about a mile (2 ki- prompted hundreds more dwindled as the group ap- those who don’t meet “the
packs and bottles of water. lometers) outside the city to join, and Dunia Montoya, proached the U.S. border, requirements to transit to-
Some pushed toddlers in of Esquipulas, where the a volunteer assisting the mi- with some giving up along ward a neighboring coun-
strollers or carried them on migrants had planned to grants, estimated Sunday the way and others splitting try.” Also, Mexico said it is-
their shoulders. spend the night. that the group had grown off to try to cross on their sues visas at its consulates
Carlos Cortez, a 32-year- Some police and Guate- to at least 1,600 people. own. abroad, not at border entry
old farmer traveling on foot malan civilians offered the Police gave their own es- Historian Dana Frank, an points.q