Thursday, November 7

A migrant caravan prepares to leave southern Mexico for the United States at Christmas

EFE avatar

By EFE

Dec 23, 2023, 10:32 PM EST

TAPACHULA, Mexico – A massive caravan of thousands of migrants is preparing to leave on foot this Sunday, December 24, on the eve of Christmas, from Tapachula, in the southern state of Chiapas, with the aim of reaching the United States.

The General Coordinator of the Center for Human Dignification (CDH), Luis Rey García Villagrán, explained that they estimate that the caravan is made up of about 10,000 people, of which more than 3,000 are children under 14 years of age.

There are also pregnant women, people with special needs and older adults.

“We are going to walk approximately 6,500 people in a high degree of vulnerability, that is, pregnant women, special children, adolescents and a few single men,” said García Villagrán.

He estimated that For December 25 and 26, there will be more than 15,000 people being on the coastal road.

The people are from 24 nationalities, mainly from Central America, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua, Africa and Asia.

Migrants prepare to leave in a caravan heading to the United States from Tapachula, in Chiapas.
Migrants prepare to leave in a caravan heading to the United States from Tapachula, in Chiapas.
Credit: Juan Manuel Blanco | EFE

Luis Daniel, originally from Cuba, registered three and a half months ago, but has not had any response from the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees (Comar), so sStill waiting for emails and appointments.

“I have gone to immigration, to Comar, I have tried to get on the bus, at the first checkpoint they have taken me off, they have stolen my money without giving us free transit, because the objective is to reach the United States, so I prefer that they kill me on the way to return to my country,” he shared.

This migrant, a lawyer by profession, was assaulted in Tapachula, where his passport and money were stolen. He is now waiting to be able to leave this Sunday in the caravan.

Silva Elizabeth Flores, a Honduran national, indicated that she arrived in Mexico with the intention of doing things legally and transparently, but He never received a response from the authorities that provide shelter. and those that grant the legal stay document.

“We need to mobilize, go to Mexico City, because there are greater opportunities. Here they only give us appointments and appointments, without any response, the most complicated thing is being able to work and feed the family with a document that can grant us a job,” she shared.

This woman, who worked for 19 years in a textile factory in Honduras, had to abandon her job due to crime, violence and the lack of economy, managing to reach Mexico where she thought she would find refuge and a better future for her family.

Keep reading:

– Migrant caravan blocks road in Chiapas, Mexico, to demand their advance towards the United States.
– Migrant caravan of 7,000 people advances towards the United States
– An NGO creates a humanitarian corridor for migrants crossing Mexico on their way to the US.