Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Mexico — The caravan of Central American migrants set out from this southern Mexican city in the predawn hours on Wednesday inching up the coastal highway in the state of Chiapas toward the municipality of Mapastepec The mass of migrants ambling along the highway didn’t seem to know where they would end up on this day but they do know their desired destination: the United States midterm elections less than two weeks away the caravan has become a hot political issue that President Donald Trump has pounced on to drive home his administration’s strict border security policies troops to meet the migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, threatened to further cut U.S aid to Central American countries and accused Democrats and left-leaning groups of financially-backing the caravan The migrants and their supporters have said they have been forced to abandon their homeland countries because of corrupt governments extreme poverty and horrific violence from gangs and other criminals where lawlessness rules “For those who want and advocate for illegal immigration, just take a good look at what has happened to Europe over the last 5 years. A total mess! They only wish they had that decision to make over again,” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning We have Strong Borders and will never accept people coming into our Country illegally!” Trump added The Mexican government reported late Wednesday that the number of caravan migrants had fallen to 3,630 people Those dropping out either applied for asylum in Mexico or chose to return home who are assisting Mexican authorities in reviewing claims of migrants said Monday that more than 7,200 people had participated in the caravan a U.S.-based organizer with the group Pubelo Sin Fronteras which is providing humanitarian assistance to the migrants said Wednesday that the size of the caravan has swelled to 10,000 people He told reporters in a conference call that the migrants were at least 1,000 miles away from the nearest border city in the U.S.  and that it could take a month or longer before they reach the United States The caravan late Wednesday began arriving reach Mapastepec They had traveled about 90 miles from the border with Guatemala since crossing into Mexico over the weekend. It is still unclear which route they will take to reach the U.S. Migrants traveling through Mexico toward the U.S but that is not possible with so many people traveling together at once He dismissed claims by the Trump administration and others that the caravan was being organized and funded by leftist or right-wing groups trying to influence the upcoming midterm U.S The Central American migrants come mostly from Honduras but also includes those from Nicaragua many migrants camped in Huixtla’s central square after spending two nights there endured searing heat and torrential downpours and battled boredom as they rested for the next leg of their journey Generous locals saw them off with sandwiches Cleanup crews moved in to sweep away the waste of what had resembled an impromptu refugee camp The caravan stretched for miles as migrants ambled along the Coastal Highway Mothers breastfed their babies along the side of the roads while fathers carried their kids on their shoulders Most of the migrants attempted to hitchhike and passing trucks would allow them to hop aboard Mexican immigration authorities operate internal checkpoints – similar in size to ports of entry on the border – including a modern facility between Huixtla and Mapastepec The caravan flowed through that checkpoint without being stopped on Wednesday A dump truck with migrants riding on top and hanging off the sides also passed through without revision “Nobody knows where we’re going,” said Honduran migrant Nelson Mencía Mencía said his feet were blistered after walking for days But he said he was “a little more rested” after the caravan paused for about 36 hours He joined the caravan after growing tired of making extortion payments in the rugged Olancho region of Honduras He showed no signs of giving up on his goal of going to the United States “I thought it was worth the risk to live a lot better,” he said of joining the caravan The mayor of Huixtla said approximately 200 people planned to either apply for asylum or return to Central America “My girls couldn’t hack it any long,” he said dejectedly as he sat on the curb outside city hall Contributing Arizona Republic reporter Daniel Gonzalez from Mexico City MAPASTEPEC, Mexico (AP) — Little by little, sickness, fear and police harassment are whittling down the migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. border with many of the 4,000 to 5,000 migrants who resumed their journey Thursday complaining of exhaustion many with children and even pushing toddlers in strollers departed Mapastepec at dawn with more than 1,000 miles still to go before they reach the U.S They had advanced about 95 miles (150 kilometers) as the crow flies since thousands burst across Mexico's southernmost border six days earlier The column stretched for more than a mile as the migrants left the town square where many spent the night families with young children packed sidewalks asking for donations and rides to the next stop about 25 miles (40 kilometers) further ahead was traveling with his 7-year old son and a teenage nephew and remained steadfast in his goal "Everyone's objective is to arrive (in the United States)," he said adding that he planned to request asylum because gangs made it impossible to live in Honduras "It's true you risk your life a lot here Mexican officials say nearly 1,700 have dropped out of the caravan to apply for asylum in Mexico and a few hundred have accepted government offers to bus them back to their home countries dropped out after developing a rumbling cough during the scorching daytime heat and evening rains and ever since then I've had a cold," Hernandez said Asked Wednesday if he would make another attempt to reach the U.S. I'm going to make my life in Honduras." it appeared to be homesickness that broke his determination to reach the U.S "We didn't know what lay ahead," said Torres where you can get by — even if just with beans The Mexican federal government's attitude has also played a role in wearing down the caravan water and medicine given to the migrants have come from private citizens church groups or sympathetic local officials The federal government hasn't given the migrants on the road a single meal It has reserved those only for migrants who turn themselves in at immigration offices to apply for visas or be deported Sometimes federal police have interfered with the caravan The Associated Press saw federal police officers force a half-dozen passenger vans to pull over and make the drivers kick migrants off In a climate where heat makes walking nearly impossible at midday such tactics may eventually take a toll on migrants' health where the main group stayed Wednesday night it appeared the size of the caravan had diminished slightly The United Nations estimated earlier in the week that about 7,000 people were in the group The Mexican government gave its own figure Wednesday of "approximately 3,630." Parents say they keep going for their children's futures and fears of what could happen to them back home in gang-dominated Honduras which was the main motivation for deciding to leave in the first place There's always danger," said Ludin Giron a Honduran street vendor making the difficult journey with her three young children "When (gang members) see a pretty girl Honduras has a homicide rate of about 43 per 100,000 inhabitants one of the highest in the world for any country not in open war 3-year-olds Justin and Nicole and 5-year-old Astrid into the seat of a motorcycle taxi meant for only two passengers Also perched on the perilously overcrowded motorbike were Reyna Esperanza Espinosa and her 11-year-old daughter "That's why we decided to come here to give a better future for our children," she said Such caravans have taken place regularly, if on a smaller scale, over the years, but U.S. President Donald Trump has seized on the phenomenon this year and made it a rallying call for his Republican base ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Trump has blamed Democrats for what he says are weak immigration laws, and he claimed that MS-13 gang members and unknown "Middle Easterners" were hiding among the migrants. He later acknowledged there was "no proof" of the claim Middle Easterners were in the crowd. But he tweeted Wednesday that the U.S. "will never accept people coming into our Country illegally!" Associated Press journalists traveling with the caravan have met throngs of Hondurans, as well as Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Nicaraguans, but no one from the Mideast. Another, smaller caravan earlier this year dwindled greatly as it passed through Mexico, with only about 200 making it to the California border. Those who do make it into the U.S. face a hard time being allowed to stay. U.S. authorities do not consider poverty, which many cite as a reason for migrating, in processing asylum applications. Carmen Mejia from Copan, Honduras, carried 3-year-old Britany Sofia Alvarado in her arms, and clutched the hand of 7-year-old Miralia Alejandra Alvarado, also sweaty — and feverish. Mejia said she was worn out. Still, she pledged to go on. "I've walked a long way. I don't want to return. I want a better future for my children." the group has grown to more than five thousand Young men with backpacks shouted “vámonos” to their friends who’d spent the night sleeping in a downtown park readied their belongings—a rumpled plastic bag with a change of clothes a drawstring sack stuffed with an extra pair of shoes—to join the clusters of people drifting toward the highway Page unavailable.This page either does not exist or is currently unavailable From here you can either hit the "back" button on your browser to return to the previous page, or visit the ABCNews.com Home Page You can also search for something on our site below Former Marcy Corrections Officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in case involving the death of an inmate in December 2024 HUIXTLA, Mexico (AP) — Thousands of Central American migrants renewed their hoped-for march to the United States on Wednesday setting out before dawn with plans to travel another 45 miles (75 kilometers) of the more than 1,000 miles that still lie before them The five days of walking in the southernmost reaches of Mexico — after seven days in Honduras and Guatemala — were beginning to show: Mexican authorities said Wednesday that about 500 migrants had accepted an offer to be bused back to their countries especially the children who toddled or were carried along on the march the size of the caravan — estimated by the United Nations at more than 7,000 strong — seemed basically undiminished as the throng set out in darkness cut by occasional flashlights or the spotlights of municipal police who were escorting them Rosa Duvon of Cofradia Cortes in Honduras was pushing two baby boys both named Daniel — a son and a nephew — in a rickety donated baby carriage over a potholed road at 5 a.m "This thing is going to die," she said of the carriage In worse condition was Maria del Carmen Mejia of Copan who was already sweating profusely before dawn She carried in her arms 3-year-old Britany Sofia Alvarado while with her other hand she clutch the hand of Miralia Alejandra Alvarado While the group has been discouraged by Mexico's government — and prompted threats of aid cutoffs for their homelands from U.S President Donald Trump — they have received an outpouring of help from locals as they pass by Neighbors have supplied the marchers — many of them largely penniless — with food and passersby have stopped to give them rides in cars Such caravans have taken place regularly, if on a smaller scale, over the years, but U.S. President Donald Trump has seized on the phenomenon this year and made it a rallying call for his Republican base ahead of Nov Trump has blamed Democrats for what he said were weak immigration laws and claimed — with no evidence — that MS-13 gang members and unknown "Middle Easterners" were hiding among the migrants The caravan had advanced about 45 miles (75 kilometers) since crossing the border from Guatemala and the marchers hoped to trek another 45 miles on Wednesday to the town of Mapastepec Even if they eventually reach the distant U.S. border many have low odds of qualifying for asylum: The United States does not consider things like fleeing from poverty or gang violence as a qualifying factor Nearly 1,700 from the current caravan have already dropped out and applied for asylum in Mexico and hundreds more have decided to return hope The numbers could thin further as people decide to take their chances in Mexico or strike out on their own Mexico – The controversial Central American migrant caravan which President Donald Trump has turned into a U.S crawled through southern Mexico on Thursday amid conflicting reports about whether it’s growing or shrinking One thing is certain: the caravan remains more than 1,000 miles from the U.S,-Mexico border Some migrants began arriving early Thursday to Mapastepec a Pacific coastal town of less than 50,000 people in the state of Chiapas The Mexican government estimates the number of people taking part in the caravan has fallen below 4,000, while those assisting it say it’s ballooned to 10,000 The Mexican government reported late Wednesday that the number of caravan migrants was down to 3,630 people noting those who dropped out either applied for asylum in Mexico or chose to return home it did not provide an updated count on migrants but reported that 1,743 had applied for asylum or refugee status and 196 are being aided in voluntarily returning home.  said Monday that more than 7,200 people had taken part in the caravan Alex Mensing, a U.S.-based organizer with the group Pubelo Sin Fronteras, which is providing humanitarian assistance to the migrants, said the size of the caravan has swelled to 10,000 people. He also told reporters in a conference call that the migrants were at least 1,000 miles away from the nearest U.S border city and that it could take a month or longer before they get there has traveled about 90 miles from the Guatemalan border since crossing into Mexico over the weekend. It is still unclear which route they will take to reach the U.S. In a tweet Thursday afternoon, Trump wrote a direct message to the migrants: “To those in the Caravan we are not letting people into the United States illegally apply for citizenship like millions of others are doing!” Speaking Wednesday night at a campaign rally in Mosinee Trump talked about the caravan as among the top issues in next month’s midterm elections “This will be the election of the caravans and common sense,” he told the crowd of supporters He again claimed that Democrats were backing the existing caravan and drumming up support for more caravans the Democrat Party is openly encouraging caravan after caravan of illegal aliens to violate our laws and break into our country,” Trump said “The crisis on the border – and it is a crisis it’s crazy – right now is the sole result of Democrat laws and activists Democrat judges that do whatever they want and that prevent us from returning illegal aliens back home to Central America and other parts of the world.” D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi D-Calif., issued a joint statement last weekend saying “the president is desperate to change the subject from health care to immigration because he knows that health care is the number one issue Americans care about.” “Democrats are focused like a laser on health care and will not be diverted,” they said From here you can either hit the "back" button on your browser to return to the previous page, or visit the ABCNews.com Home Page. You can also search for something on our site below. Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor. Thanks for your patience. Southern Mexico’s Chiapas state is home to some of the country’s most impoverished communities. Yet towns have organized to offer shelter, medical treatment and donations as best they can. MAPASTEPEC, Mexico - As long lines of migrants shuffled past his cheese shop Thursday on the far-distant journey north, Cesar Cabuqui was ready, handing out scores of homemade bean and cheese sandwiches and bags of water. He was far from the only one moved to help the masses of women, men and children as they made their way on foot between the far southern Mexican towns of Mapastepec and Pijijiapan - a 30-mile trek. “They are human beings,” Cabuqui said. “You have to do something to help them.” Southern Mexico’s Chiapas state is home to some of the country’s most impoverished communities. Yet towns suddenly faced with an influx of thousands of people bedding down in overflowing plazas and parks have organized to offer them shelter, medical treatment and donations as best they can. When an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 migrants walked into Mapastepec on Wednesday, the municipality of 45,000 residents was ready. They had been following the caravan’s progress for days. The city government erected tents around the main square offering everything from medical attention to donated clothing and baby formula. Local churches offered free showers and set up food distribution points. Some 110 migrants slept overnight at the Casa de Cultura, where a woman named Concepcion Ponce Aguilar works, and 620 more used its restrooms. “It is satisfying to have helped them,” Aguilar said. “It leaves a good taste in one’s mouth.” Grateful for the hospitality, many of the migrants have tried to be respectful visitors. Jose Reyneri Castellanos, from El Progreso, Honduras, hung back behind the rest of the caravan with his wife and two young sons to help sweep and tidy up - just as they’ve done at each stop, figuring it well help ensure a continued warm reception as they head north. “I think it is important to leave the community and the city clean,” Castellanos said. As the migrants departed before dawn Thursday, the garbage left behind was neatly gathered around full bins or littered the ground in places where no receptacles were available. As the sky brightened, a brigade of volunteers together with city workers and migrants swept the trash into mounds and bags that were collected by latex-gloved workers. Alvaro Ruiz Dominguez was among the residents who welcomed migrants onto his property. Ruiz let them use his bathrooms, and a doctor who occupies one of the five storefronts he owns provided free medical care. As the last of his one-night guests were gathering their things, Ruiz swept the parking lot and said the migrants had behaved well and made an effort to help clean up. He estimated 250 had slept in the lot and in a side yard. By 5 a.m. there was little sign that so many people had camped there. “I really doubt they are criminals,” Ruiz said, referring to claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that gang members and “Middle Easterners,” were mixed in with the caravan. Trump later acknowledged there was no proof, and Associated Press journalists traveling with the caravan have seen no sign of that. Trump has been stoking fears about the caravan and illegal immigration to rally his Republican base ahead of the hotly contested Nov. 6 midterm elections, repeatedly hitting Democrats on the issue. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was expected to sign an order as early as Thursday to send 800 or more additional troops to the southern border to support the Border Patrol, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly because the details had not yet been finalized. The caravan is still some 1,000 miles from the nearest border crossing at McAllen, Texas, but the journey could be twice that if the migrants head to the Tijuana-San Diego crossing, the destination of a smaller caravan earlier this year. Only about 200 in that group ever made it. This one has begun to thin, with authorities saying 1,740 have applied for refuge in Mexico and hundreds more have taken up offers of bus rides back to Honduras. Sickness, exhaustion and police harassment have also helped whittle down their numbers. Mexico’s federal government hasn’t given the migrants on the road a single meal, bathroom or bottle of water, reserving any aid only for those who turn themselves in to apply for visas or be deported. Immigration officials appeared to be intervening more aggressively with the migrants’ movements amid the sweltering 90-degree heat. A taxi driver in Mapastepec said he had seen immigration agents force migrant passengers out of cabs at a checkpoint. An official from the country’s Human Rights Commission said migrants could go through if they were in vans or trucks that offered them free rides, but if they had paid they would have to get out because of insurance regulations. Cesar Antonio Perez Rodriguez, from El Salvador, said agents had forced him, his pregnant wife, Delmy Roxana Martinez, and their 3-year-old son out of a van the previous day. They were brought to an immigration office filled with more than 30 migrants. Hours passed with no explanation. Several in the group became agitated and pushed their way through a door, he said. In the commotion, Perez managed to flee but his wife and child were left behind. As he ran he looked back to see her holding their son and crying, blocked by agents with batons. On Thursday, at an internet cafe in Mapastepec, he desperately tried to contact his wife’s relatives via Facebook to find out if they had heard from her. He had no money and his wife had their only cell phone, a Mexican number he didn’t know. “I don’t want to lose my son,” Perez said, choking back tears. The family left San Salvador more than a month ago after a gang threatened to kill them, Perez said, a tale common to many in the caravan who are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America. They traveled 287 miles to Tapachula, in southern Mexico, before running out of money. They were surviving on little more than mangos and had applied for refugee status in Mexico when the caravan passed last week, and the family decided joining it was their best chance. On Thursday, the long column stretched for miles along the highway. Families with young children packed sidewalks asking for donations and rides. Arriving in Pijijiapan, thousands camped under plastic tarps in front of a church. Volunteer doctors treated dozens for dehydration, injured feet and other ailments. Such caravans have taken place regularly, if on a smaller scale, over the years, but Trump has seized on the phenomenon this year. Candy Guillermo, 37, said she had heard from others in the caravan that Trump intended to send more U.S. troops to the border. A single mother of four, she was surprised the leader of such a powerful country would find her and the scores of other families traveling alongside her a threat. “It surprises me because there are children here. President Trump should be more humanitarian,” Guillermo said, wiping sweat from her brow. “We only want to give our kids a better future.” Según los autores del documento, hay una relación entre las restricciones a la interrupción legal del embarazo y el riesgo de suicidio en mujeres en edad reproductiva The Communist Party is tightening its grip on internet usage after millions of people have flouted its ban on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube President Trump has used Twitter to blame the Democrats for the exodus Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The flyer began circulating on social media in Honduras this month showing a lone migrant sketched against a bright red backdrop It was a call to join a caravan the work of leftist activists and politicians who had helped lead migrants north in the past But they also tossed a political spark into the mix, blaming their right-wing government for the exodus: “The violence and poverty is expelling us.” They never expected it to ignite an international firestorm began briefing the president on the caravan’s progress the week before last Within days, the president began using Twitter to attack the migrants putting the blame on Democrats and threatening to cut funding to Central American governments: “We are a great Sovereign Nation We have Strong Borders and will never accept people coming into our Country illegally!” What began as a domestic political dispute in Honduras — an effort to undermine newly re-elected President Juan Orlando Hernández and to call attention to the plight of migrants — quickly became an international row consternation across the region and political opportunism in the United States Initially planned as a modest caravan of a few hundred people it grew quickly to about 7,000 as desperation local media coverage and a swirl of domestic and American politics combined to transform it into the largest movement of migrants north through Mexico in recent history Even those who helped spur the mass movement never imagined it would expand so much “I never expected this to get so big,” said Bartolo Fuentes a migrant advocate and former lawmaker who helped promote the caravan For leftist politicians like Mr Fuentes and Luis Redondo the caravan offered a perfect way to encourage migrants to travel safely in a large group — and attack the government at the same time After Honduras’ divisive presidential election in November which the Organisation of American States found so problematic that it called for a new vote people took to the streets in deadly protests against what they saw as a fraudulent vote count the Trump administration gave its official support to Mr Hernández a loyal ally who cooperated with Americans during his first term on issues like stopping the flow of drugs and migrants towards the border but he remained a polarising figure accused of corruption and amassing too much power Determined to denounce Mr Hernández’s administration and support the migrants, members of the opposition started promoting the caravan as an example of what happens when a government fails its people. In Tegucigalpa a prominent member of the opposition went to the Mexican Embassy and threatened to send out multiple caravans as long as the situation in Honduras remained the same “This time it will be so big that when they see everyone walking, they should ask, ‘Where are they coming from and who is responsible for so many people leaving Honduras?’ ” said Mr Redondo in a Facebook post on 5 October in which he shared the caravan poster impunity; those responsible are the corrupt and corrupters of the national party.” On that score, the government’s opponents were successful. Mr Trump demanded that Mr Hernández stop the caravan, though by then the migrants were already in Guatemala and it was unclear what Mr Hernández could do Mr Trump threatened to cut off aid to the country if the caravan was not turned around “The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S is not stopped and brought back to Honduras,” Mr Trump wrote last week “No more money or aid will be given to Honduras It seemed to panic the Honduran government In what appeared to be an attempt to deflect responsibility the Honduran ambassador to the United States sent Florida congressman Matt Gaetz a video in which young men handed out single bills to migrants standing in line Mr Muñoz also said that George Soros, US nonprofit groups, or a drug cartel might be helping fund the caravan, said Mr Gaetz, who posted the video to Twitter “Footage in Honduras giving cash 2 women & children 2 join the caravan & storm the US border @ election time The claims were later debunked and the video wasn’t even shot in Honduras Migrants in the caravan told The New York Times that people who wanted to help them handed out the equivalent of about 13 to 26 cents who have survived on handouts from strangers said they were not paid to join the caravan The ambassador declined to comment. But he was hardly the only person in the Honduran government looking to cast blame for the exodus on foreigners. Earlier this week vice president Mike Pence said that Honduras’ president told him that Venezuela was providing funding to support the migrants Mr Hernández’s office did not respond to requests for comment The political fallout from the caravan has been disastrous for Honduras But Republicans welcomed the pivot of Americans’ attention away from the Khashoggi killing to a topic that has long gained traction with Mr Trump’s political base Newt Gingrich the former speaker and an occasional Trump advisor was among the Republicans following news of the caravan even as global coverage remained squarely focused on Mr Khashoggi Republicans hope that the increased coverage of the migrants would prompt certain voter groups, like white suburban women, to veer away from Democratic candidates especially if Mr Trump could stoke fears about gangs and drugs “It creates a safety factor” for those voters Mr Gingrich added: “Trump understands in the current American political structure you have to win polarised campaigns.” Mr Fuentes and others had aimed to embarrass their government by portraying the caravan as a powerful statement on the cost of failed domestic politics The coverage of the migrants and the political blowback — in Honduras and in the United States — has been intense After following the migrants into Guatemala Mr Fuentes was detained and sent back to Honduras where he has stayed away from the spotlight afraid the government will retaliate against him Mr Fuentes said he was opposed to this government and wanted Mr Hernández out of office But he helped spread the word about the caravan because the road north is dangerous you’re heading for disaster,” Mr Fuentes said adding that most of the migrants simply joined on their own including Mr Trump and the pro-government news media in Honduras The flyer and private WhatsApp groups that sprung up across the country were most likely the initial sources of information for many who joined the caravan. But interviews with several dozen migrants on the trail credited a pro-government television station with sounding the media megaphone. The day before the caravan started, a popular program on HCH News dedicated more than an hour to discussing the caravan. The coverage was geared in part towards embarrassing the organisers and spreading disinformation about how Mr Fuentes was paying for the migrants’ food and transportation (an allegation he later denied on the program). But the effort backfired. Far from delegitimizing the caravan by convincing the public it had political roots, the hosts inadvertently presented many Hondurans who wanted to flee with the perfect opportunity to do so. Between 200 and 300 people on average leave Honduras every day, risking the journey north in search of a future away from the poverty and violence that make daily life a struggle. Since the last caravan in the spring, a devastating drought has forced even more people to ponder the uncertainty of migrating. Olvin Alexander Martínez, 21, who worked with his brother and father at a palm oil company in Trujillo, said this year’s yield “was not enough,” costing family members their jobs and him a large part of his salary. Mr Martinez decided to join the caravan, which now includes Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Mexicans. Franklin Barahona, 26, a Honduran migrant from La Ceiba, said he joined the caravan at the beginning, then spread the word over WhatsApp and Facebook. Mr Barahona and his travel companion, Flavio Williams, also 26, had seen news reports that suggested members of the caravan had been paid by Honduran politicians, and that their march was motivated by politics. “The truth is, it’s false, it’s totally false,” Mr Williams said of the accusations. “Five thousand, 7,000 people aren’t going to come risk their lives just because of politics, much less their children’s, their wives’ — they’re not going to do it because of politics,” he added. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies military may send up to 1,000 troops to Mexico border Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2018 at 2:18 PM ESTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.The U.S and Mexico pledged to work together to foster new public and private spending on development for Central America and southern Mexico to spur development and economic growth in an attempt to address the roots of a migrant crises that has drawn President Donald Trump’s frustration through public funds and private commitments via the Corporation of Private Investment Abroad will seek to gather $5.8 billion for funding for Central America and $4.8 billion for southern Mexico Mexico is also pledging $25 billion for growth Nov 23 (Reuters) – Thousands of migrants in southern Mexico have accepted a government offer to quit a U.S.-bound caravan in exchange for Mexican visas The caravan is one of two large groups of migrants many from Central America and the Caribbean that left the southern city of Tapachula in recent weeks to embark on foot on the long journey north toward the U.S border with families including young children The caravan migrants who left Tapachula last week accepted a government proposal to “begin the process that will allow them to regularize their legal status,” according to a joint statement from the interior ministry and national migration institute this group had progressed as far as the town of Mapastepec in the southern state of Chiapas under the guidance of caravan organizer Luis Garcia Villagran from advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras Garcia told Reuters that most of the migrants in the caravan had accepted the offer and officials would eventually bus them out of Chiapas the organizers agreed not to assemble more caravans in future Caravan organizer Garcia denied that such a deal had been made Migrants have repeatedly expressed skepticism about receiving documentation regularizing them in Mexico and organizers say another caravan is already about to depart from Tapachula a major migrant massing point close to the border with Guatemala Garcia said the decision to offer transportation and visas to migrants was positive after Tapachula had turned into a “prison” for migrants left stranded while waiting for paperwork that would let them freely transit the country The Mexican migration official said an earlier group of migrants from Haiti and Honduras were taken to Guanajuato state about 1,000 km (620 miles) away on Tuesday © 2022 St Kitts Nevis Observer / Nevis Printing Ltd Newspaper Theme by tagDiv | All rights reserved A moderate magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit 19.3 km (12 mi) away from Mapastepec, Estado de Chiapas,  Mexico 2025 at 2.59 am local time (America/Merida GMT -6) The quake had a moderate depth of 130 km (81 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).