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The majority of the migrants are from Venezuela, but they also
include people from Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador.
They've said they are tired of being blocked from crossing
Mexico by the government.
Though previous caravans have said they intend to reach the
border something that was almost never achieved the migrants
in the new caravan appear to be less clear about where they were
headed. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to prevent
migrants from entering the United States and stage mass
deportations of those already in the country.
Many of the migrants said they were simply tired of being
bottled up in Tapachula a city tired of hosting thousands of
migrants and one where they cannot find much work.
Giscarlis Colmenares, a 29-year-old from Venezuela, has been
waiting for almost three months for an asylum appointment
through the U.S. CBP One app.
Colmenares said her immediate goal was to reach Mexico City to
find work, so that we see whether we can get, ahead, or stay
here and earn enough money to return to Venezuela.
An improvised migrant camp in downtown Mexico City was already
full to overflowing with migrants.
Some recognized the difficulties involved in reaching the U.S.
Douglas Ernesto, from El Salvador, trudged along with the
caravan on Thursday, with his wife and 10-year-old son.
Our goal is the United States, but if not, we'll stay in
Mexico, Ernesto said, acknowledging that getting beyond
Tapachula is very difficult.
The caravan has little or no chance of making it more than a few
dozen miles. In November, Mexican officials broke up two similar
migrant caravans not far from Tapchula.
Apart from the much larger first caravans in 2018 and 2019
which were provided buses to ride part of the way north no
caravan has ever reached the U.S. border walking or hitchhiking
in any cohesive way, though some individuals have made it.
For years, migrant caravans have often been blocked, harassed or
prevented from hitching rides by Mexican police and immigration
agents. They have also frequently been rounded up or returned to
areas near the Guatemalan border.
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