Mexico — Increasingly sick and facing a punishing 60-mile (100 kilometer) trek members of the migrant caravan began leaving the southern Mexico city of Pijijiapan on Friday and walking in the pre-dawn darkness to the next stop The migrants’ coughs could be heard in the darkness long before their faces become visible and returned to town with her sleeping 3-year-old daughter in her arms Her 5-year-old daughter walked alongside her while the children’s father pushed an empty stroller through the dark “My blood pressure is bad,” Caldames said they planned to buy bus tickets most of the way to Arriaga to try to regain their strength But if Mexican police catch them riding a bus they could tell the driver to drop them off on the road Authorities are enforcing an obscure highway insurance rule in an apparent bid to make families like the Caldemes walk as much of the way as possible Many of the migrants already had blistered feet before they reached Pijijiapan on Thursday and the town’s main plaza quickly became a makeshift triage center as the caravan of about 4,000 Central Americans arrived A severely dehydrated woman connected to an IV line sat on a plastic chair in a gazebo volunteer nurses took temperatures and treated coughs handing out donated medicine as migrants lined up Two weeks of walking have taken a toll on the caravan as they slowly march through Chiapas Jesus Miravete treated more than 120 people Many had burns on their feet from walking in plastic sandals on the steaming highway “So many tell me: ‘I can’t rest above all by the number of dehydrated children I have seen.” residents in Pijijiapan turned out in force to aid the travelers as they streamed in on foot Others showed up with used clothes and boxes of sandwiches The caravan was welcomed in a similar fashion into Mapastepec a municipality of 45,000 residents 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the south where city officials put up tents around the main square offering everything from medical attention to donated clothing to baby formula Local churches offered free showers and set up food distribution points You have to do something to help them,” said Cesar Cabuqui who handed out dozens of homemade bean and cheese sandwiches and bags of water many of the migrants have tried to be respectful visitors hung back behind the rest of the caravan with his wife and two young sons to help sweep and tidy up in Mapastepec as he’d 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 Many of the migrants say they are dreaming of finding better lives in the United States They say they have been driven to leave their homelands by severe poverty and rising gang violence President Donald Trump has seized on the phenomenon this year he has been talking about the caravan and illegal immigration repeatedly hitting Democrats with the issue as the U.S Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was expected to sign an order to send 800 or more additional troops to the southern border to support the Border Patrol who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly because details had not yet been finalized The caravan is still some 1,000 miles from the nearest border crossing at McAllen but the journey could be twice that if the migrants head to the Tijuana-San Diego crossing That was the destination of a smaller caravan earlier this year Authorities say 1,740 have applied for refuge in Mexico and hundreds more have taken up offers of bus rides back to Honduras exhaustion and police harassment have helped whittle down their numbers 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 the insurance regulations the long column stretched for miles along the highway Families with young children packed sidewalks asking for donations and rides said she had heard from others in the caravan about Trump intending to send U.S she was puzzled that the leader of such a powerful country would find her and the families traveling alongside her a threat “It surprises me because there are children here President Trump should be more humanitarian,” Guillermo said “We only want to give our kids a better future.” © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker views and stories from the front lines of conservation a Conservation International project showed that ‘everything is connected.’ When one small town saw its livelihood drying up it had a choice: find new ways to make money or overcome its fears and enlist an unlikely ally the small fishing community of Topón in southern Mexico noticed that the shrimp on which its economy depended were dying off The community suspected that climate change increased deforestation and overfishing had pushed the ecosystem too far — a suspicion since confirmed by scientists The community has experienced a dramatic drop in shrimp due to deforestation In the past, the community saw crocodiles as pests at best — threats, at worst. But a years-long project from Conservation International the Global Environment Facility and the Mexican government has helped change that mindset — and show that conservation works best when it considers the entire ecosystem “Ecosystems are a complex and interconnected whole,” said Gustavo Garduño project specialist at Conservation International-Mexico Such is the case with crocodiles and shrimp.” that ecosystem starts high in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountain range where water flows steadily through the Pijijiapan River before spilling into the Pacific Ocean is where the shrimp that sustain Topón live alongside an abundance of life Roseate spoonbills are one of many species that make this region one of the most biodiverse areas of Mexico Vibrant roseate spoonbills wade through the shallows to find fish Reclusive crocodiles and caimans bask in the sun And towering mangroves — the largest in North America — provide refuge for migratory birds Yet deforestation upstream has transformed the estuary With the trees no longer there to act as a buffer clogging waterways and causing the estuary's oxygen levels to plummet The shrimp were effectively being choked out “While deforestation hurts shrimp populations it is driven by falling incomes for fishermen who are catching fewer shrimp and instead turning to environmentally damaging activities like cattle ranching and palm oil production.” Chiapas — where Topón is located — is the poorest state in Mexico and with little control over deforestation upstream the community needed to take a different approach to cleaning up the estuary’s water and making shrimping profitable again Young fishermen monitor crocodile populations coastal manager at Conservation International-Mexico their movements stir up sediment that has settled at the bottom and keeping minerals and nutrients from settling and clogging the system crocodiles must be present — their decline is one of the main reasons that shrimp numbers have plummeted But crocodiles’ role in the ecosystem was misunderstood — and fishermen would hunt the endangered species “We were very afraid of them and fear made us act against the animal,” said Mario Becerra 'We’re doing something good because we’re killing the crocodile the project hosted workshops that showed the critical role crocodiles play in keeping the ecosystem healthy — and ensuring there is an abundance of shrimp to fish They also organized monitoring brigades to keep an eye on the species and measure progress — an eye-opening experience for the community “When the community joined in monitoring the crocodiles they realized there weren’t many left,” he said the community typically only encountered them in threatening situations But witnessing the crocodile’s life cycle — from eggs to hatchlings to adults — play out in front of them had a profound and moving effect While it is too early to know how the project has impacted crocodile populations in the estuary Becerra said it has already transformed the community's relationship with the animal and helped them learn to coexist with it A river crocodile carrying its young in its mouth is captured on a camera trap that monitors crocodile populations the fishermen’s catch has increased tenfold since the project began more than five years ago — though hasn’t yet returned to the yields seen a decade ago The local economy is also showing signs of improvement the fishermen hope to connect directly to higher-value markets that support sustainable production “None of this would have been possible without taking this holistic and community-driven approach,” Flores said “These are essential pieces to long-term sustainability.” One of the most underrepresented groups within a community is children and Topón was no different: Many of the children there had never seen where their parents fished So the project organized an environmental festival where each child received a pair of binoculars and bird guides to see the wildlife firsthand and participate in lessons and activities about the local ecology “It was an amazing experience for the children and a powerful lesson,” Flores said “If you want to achieve lasting conservation you must involve people from an early age and establish that link between a community and the nature surrounding it.” Children participate inactivities like drawing contests and puppet theater focused on the surrounding environment Mary Kate McCoy is a staff writer at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates. Also, please consider supporting our critical work. Print Reporting from PIJIJIAPAN — Central American migrants hoping to reach the U.S are finding a much tougher trek than those in previous caravans meeting unwelcoming townsfolk and a surprise raid by Mexican police and immigration agents who detained hundreds in Mexico’s south While their compatriots were being taken into custody Monday hundreds of other migrants scrambled away into the brush along the highway in Chiapas state to elude authorities Many had already learned they would not be received in towns with the same hospitality that greeted previous caravans and now they know they won’t be safe walking along the rural highway either Mexican authorities said they detained 367 people in the largest single raid on a migrant caravan since the groups started moving through the country last year Oscar Johnson Rivas fled up a mountain when officers converged on the caravan He spent six hours hiding in the thick vegetation before carefully making his way back to the highway with others “What we did was find the bush and get as far away as we could so they couldn’t grab us,” said Rivas a 45-year-old soldier from El Salvador who said he had to flee his country because of gang threats like we were animals,” he said of the Mexican officials A Central American migrant is detained April 22 by Mexican immigration agents on the highway to Pijijiapan (Moises Castillo / Associated Press) Mexico’s National Migration Institute issued a statement saying agents were carrying out an immigration check on a group of migrants who “began an aggression” against the agents including a “significant number” of children and women were “rescued” and taken to an immigration station Journalists saw police target isolated groups at the tail end of a caravan of about 3,000 migrants who were making their way through Chiapas As migrants gathered under spots of shade in the burning heat outside the city of Pijijiapan federal police and agents arrived in patrol trucks and vans and forcibly wrestled women A Central American woman (Moises Castillo / Associated Press) The migrants were driven to buses presumably to be taken to an immigration station for deportation processing Some women and children wailed and screamed during the detentions on the roadside suitcases and strollers littered the scene after they were taken away Agents had encouraged groups of migrants who separated from the bulk of the caravan to rest after some seven hours of trudging along the road Agents positioned themselves at the head of the group and at the back Some people in civilian clothing appeared to be participating in the detentions some migrants began walking in dense groups and picked up stones and sticks Officials from Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission observed the action from a distance Mexico welcomed the first migrant caravans last year but the reception has grown colder since tens of thousands of migrants overwhelmed U.S causing delays at the border and angering Mexican residents RELATED: After separation at the border months ago, some migrant families tearfully reunite » also has ramped up pressure on Mexico to do more to stem the flow of migrants President Trump railed against the government of his Mexican counterpart and threatened to shut the entire border down but then quickly congratulated Mexico for migrant arrests just a few weeks ago Mexico already allows the United States to return some asylum seekers to Mexico as their cases play out And government officials said in March they would try to contain migrants in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the south It is Mexico’s narrowest area and the easiest to control Pijijiapan and Mapastepec are not far from the isthmus’ narrowest point In recent months Mexican authorities have deported thousands of migrants, though they also have issued more than 15,000 humanitarian visas that allow migrants to remain in the country and work. A group of about 10 prominent social organizations recently warned that detentions of migrants had been rising and accused immigration agents and federal, state and local police of violating their human rights. The groups said the increased detentions had overwhelmed capacity at the immigration center in Tapachula. The National Human Rights Commission also said the facility was overcrowded. In its most recent statement from last week, the Migration Institute said 5,336 migrants were in shelters or immigration centers in Chiapas, and over 1,500 of them were “awaiting deportation.” The Rights Commission said Sunday more than 7,500 migrants were in detention, at shelters or on the road in Chiapas. It urged authorities to carry out a proper census of the migrants and attend to their needs, particularly those of children. World & Nation California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map DC is closely monitoring the recent M8.1 earthquake reported to have occurred 87km SW of Pijijiapan Attached is a PDC Situational Awareness Product depicting estimated Tsunami Travel Times from the source to coastal locations Please see below for additional information as well as monitor DisasterAWARE for further updates Direct link to the Earthquake Hazard: https://emops.pdc.org/emops/?hazard_id=73582 Direct link to the Tsunami Hazard: https://emops.pdc.org/emops/?hazard_id=73581 If needed, please register for access to PDC’s DisasterAWARE here: http://emops.pdc.org/emops/public/registeruser.jsp/ Carecer de datos adecuados para determinar el estado de la infancia educación y nutrición luego de un desastre natural impide que se generen las condiciones para garantizar sus derechos Mexico (AP) — On the 15th day of their journey Joel Eduardo Espinar and his family were hurting And they still had a country to traverse before they got to the United States they had fled Honduras and joined the migrant caravan of Central Americans snaking toward the border complained of stomach pains as he lay on the highway's shoulder His 12-year-old sister Tifany Diana sat beside him could not shake a nagging cough and sore throat The Honduran farmer and his wife watched dozens of fellow travelers scramble to board trucks that stopped to help their caravan Hundreds of others had already left on foot to get an early start on what would be the most ambitious single-day trek since they crossed into Mexico about 62 miles (100 kilometers) up the coast So Espinar had to decide what to do quickly or he and his family would find themselves alone the five would have to race to the trucks and muscle aboard with their two strollers — one for 2-year-old Eduardo the other carrying three blankets and three small backpacks containing all their belongings Their feet were still holding up despite two weeks of walking in plastic sandals Miraculously not one had a blister after traveling mostly on foot more than 95 miles — 150 kilometers — since crossing the Mexican border "The only way to get ahead is to make sacrifices," he said President Donald Trump has ordered thousands of troops to the border to meet the caravan and prevent the arrival of "Many Gang Members and some very bad people" he says it includes They're more likely to encounter people like Espinar and his family — desperate and stumbling in plastic shoes toward what they hope will be a new life Espinar broke down crying when he hugged his mother goodbye he had confronted his alcoholism with her help; now he was leaving her behind She assured him he was doing the right thing one of the most violent areas in one of Latin America's most violent countries — for more than two decades Four of Espinar's friends died from stabbings and his wife was robbed twice at knifepoint on her way home from the stand where she sold rosquillas a traditional Honduran snack made of cornmeal and cheese it grew harder and harder to survive there leaving the fifth grade to work with his father cultivating watermelons bound for the U.S prices had shot up and it was becoming impossible to raise his children on his 1,500 Honduran Lempira ($62) weekly salary Tifany Diana had to drop out of school for lack of tuition His wife sold their television to buy food visa from a friend who got one and realized she would not qualify Then the couple's neighbor and close friend was shot by a stray bullet while sleeping next to her 4-year-old son a Honduran TV news station reported that a caravan for migrants was heading to the U.S The report said hundreds had joined and they would be arriving at Santa Rosa de Coapan His brother had paid a smuggler $6,500 to get to the U.S border eight months ago and he knew he would never have that much money Espinar bought five bus tickets to Santa Rosa de Coapan Yamilet packed one change of clothes for each family member Eduardo would have to start drinking from a cup; there was no room to carry bottles and formula The family arrived at Santa Rosa de Coapan at 3 a.m They walked seven hours with the caravan to the Guatemalan border with Mexico They were caught in a downpour that drenched their clothes A Guatemalan immigration official gave them an Ozark Trail tent to get out of the rain It would become their home for the next two weeks when they would pitch it in the plazas of Mexican towns that welcomed a caravan that had grown to several thousand as they inched forward They tossed everything they had packed from home because the items were too wet to carry but people along their route gave them new clothes plastic sandals and a green ball that Jason kicked as they walked Espinar said it felt like they were being carried along by a wave of kindness and generosity One night they awoke to screams and people running amid rumors child snatchers had taken some migrant kids Some 2,300 children were traveling with the caravan at one point After they arrived at the sizzling plaza of Pijijiapan to stay the night a mother clutched her 2-month-old girl with one hand searching through a pile of donated clothes for a onesie another baby in diapers nursed as his mother reclined on a plastic tarp "I have never seen so many children migrating," said Dr Jesus Miravete who has been treating migrants in Chiapas for more than a decade they set out on foot again along the moonlight route shortly after 3 a.m "People are getting tired and deciding to go back," Yamilet told Espinar Then what are we going to do if we come across Zetas?" — members of the notorious Mexican drug cartel "They're supposed to be around here." The couple had heard the stories of Central Americans being kidnapped and killed by gangs in Mexico They felt protected by traveling in numbers another family pushing kids in strollers emerged and walked past them They passed a mother changing her infant's diapers; the scene was lit by the headlights of semi-trailers roaring past started vibrating badly and seemed to be about to fall off Espinar stopped and tied it together with a plastic bag "Little by little," her dad told her Eduardo woke up crying and said his tummy hurt Yamilet rubbed his belly and put him back in the stroller "I don't like anything about this trip" Tifany said flatly Then Eduardo sat up in his stroller and took charge they reached a Mexican immigration checkpoint and stopped to rest The temperature was already reaching 80 degrees Hundreds of the migrants were lined up for bags of water and sandwiches being handed out by locals wanting to help Others were jumping on trucks that offered rides Yamilet decided there was no way to make it by foot She found a cargo truck where the migrants helped load the strollers — one with Eduardo still in it — and the two other children They huddled in the back with more than hundred people they were dropped off in the outskirts of Arriaga They used their two strollers to stake out a tiny spot on the artificial turf of a playground to pitch their tent and collapsed in the 104-degree heat Espinar insists that America will be worth the hardships He had heard the Trump administration was tightening the restrictions on the types of cases that can qualify someone for asylum making it harder for Central Americans who say they're fleeing the threat of gangs or drug smugglers to pass even the first hurdle for securing U.S His plan is to request asylum rather than cross the border illegally "I'm kind of fearful of what will happen once we get to the U.S who now lives in Miami with an ankle monitor while his own asylum case proceeds Byron Espinar knows that Trump could try to block the way They went to see doctors who set up tables outside City Hall Eduardo squirmed and cried as he was examined A marimba band played on a balcony overhead a row of nurses bandaged blistered and battered feet of dozens of migrants propped up on wooden crates A toddler in diapers crawled under the tables Espinar carefully read his son's medication before administering it to him back at the tent the couple bathed their children with buckets of water next to a water truck the local government had parked at the plaza while the caravan's coordinators called a meeting to ask if the migrants wanted to keep going Mexico was offering the chance to stay and apply for refugee status but they would have to remain in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca As he put Jason to sleep in the tent for another steamy night "Today actually was easy," he said He figured they only had a month and a half left to go Eighty workers from 10 cheese producers came together in the southern state of Chiapas on Thursday afternoon to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ball of quesillo — commonly known as Oaxaca cheese The finished product weighed 558 kilograms (1,230 lbs.) made with 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons) of milk and took four hours to complete The event was supervised by a Guinness World Records adjudicator who stipulated that the crew would have to maintain hygienic conditions throughout produce a final product that was at least somewhat ball-shaped and finish in no more than eight hours The cheese ball nearly doubled the previous world record of 350 kilograms (772 lbs.) The new record was broken at Campo Milenio in the municipality of Pijijiapan on the Pacific Coast about halfway between Chiapas’ borders with Oaxaca and Guatemala attendees were allowed to take home portions of the cheese in containers and plastic bags But then a moment came when the cheese flexed downward … We lost 100 kilos from the top weight test runs that produced cheese balls of 100 Pijijiapan is well known for its quesillo. Cheese producers there export around 20 to 30 tons per day to Southeast and Central Mexico and the mayor said that much of the cheese stamped as “Oaxaca cheese” or “quesillo” throughout the country is actually produced in his municipality of 51,200 people The town is located in a dairy farming area with approximately 800 cheese factories “Here is where [the distributors] buy it [and] put the stamps on it and it goes to the center of the country,” he said here we have the best cheese factories,” said Pijijiapan resident Victoria Gómez González With reports from Milenio, Diario del Sur and Cuarto Poder ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Many of the migrants trekking to the US-Mexico border express optimism in their vision of the US as president tweets: ‘Go back to your country’ Hoping to avoid crushing tropical heat – and the attention of Mexican immigration officials – members of the migrant caravan began walking before dawn on Friday as they began a punishing 100km (62 mile) trek to the next station on their journey. Read moreThe first groups set out from the town of Pijijiapan around 1 on Friday morning intending to make as much progress as possible toward Arriaga before the heat of the day The group of several thousand people is still some 1,609km (1,000 miles) from the border crossing into the US, but their journey could be twice that if they head to Tijuana, the destination of a much smaller caravan which crossed Mexico in April said she was still determined to reach the US where she hoped to find work so she can pay for epilepsy treatment for her three-year-old nephew work and save enough money to help my family,” she said “I can hopefully then have my nephew come to the United States legally At times the journey has taken on the appearance of a biblical exodus: entire families including babies in arms and people in wheelchairs plodding through the punishing heat and downpours through the scrubby lowlands of southern Mexico A woman baths her daughter as she and others part of caravan from Central America en route to the US Photograph: Adrees Latif/ReutersJust as the group reached Pijijiapan on Wednesday we are not letting people into the United States illegally apply for citizenship like millions of others are doing.” The Trump administration is reported to be considering a new executive order aimed at blocking asylum seekers and immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as a caravan of migrants continues to make its way north through Mexico News reports quoting unnamed administration officials say authorities are weighing a range of administrative and legal actions on grounds of national security to restrict the ability of migrants to seek asylum Although no decision has reportedly been made yet immigration attorneys told VOA the move would be quickly challenged in court Some reports have suggested a complete border closure is under consideration but analysts consider such a move politically impossible because of the billions of dollars in commerce between the U.S the administration is likely aiming for a narrower action particularly targeting asylum seekers who arrive in the United States without traveling through regular border crossings Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told reporters in California Friday that “everything is on the table’’ as the administration considers new measures to stop illegal immigration The development comes Friday as Mexico increased its efforts to stop the caravan from reaching the United States offering temporary identification papers and jobs to migrants who register for asylum in Mexico Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said migrants must remain in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca to qualify for the plan Department of Justice official and immigration attorney said any presidential action aimed at curbing the ability of people who are able to reach the U.S from seeking asylum would face a difficult legal battle — even if it relies on the president’s travel ban director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project said It is “disgraceful the Trump administration would even consider extending the travel ban “It would mean refusing to protect people who can prove they are fleeing persecution That would be a huge moral failure and any plan along these lines will be subject to intense legal scrutiny.” According to the United Nations, blocking asylum requests is illegal. Such action also violates U.S. law in the form of the Convention against Torture. The convention is an international human rights treaty that prohibits torture and degrading treatment against all human beings. The General Assembly adopted it in 1984, and the U.S. ratified the treaty in October 1994. The ramped up efforts by the administration come as reports indicate the number of migrants in the caravan are dropping, from around 7,000 a few days ago to about 3,000 now. Officials say nearly 1,700 migrants have already dropped out and applied for asylum in Mexico. A few hundred weary migrants have accepted Mexican government offers to transport them back to their home countries. Most of those traveling north are from Honduras. There has been no evidence to back up President Donald Trump's claim that "Middle Easterners" are also with the group. slowly moves north in Mexico 1/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. 2/35 Honduran migrant children heading in a caravan to the U.S. 3/35 Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the U.S. 4/35 Honduran migrants take a bath in a river in Pijijiapan 5/35 Central American migrants traveling with a caravan to the U.S 6/35 Melvin Marquez from Honduras relaxes after having a bath in a river in Pijijiapan 7/35 Central American migrants traveling with a caravan to the U.S 8/35 Central American migrants rest for the night in Pijijiapan as their caravan slowly makes its way toward the U.S 9/35 Central American migrants walking to the U.S 10/35 Hondruans bath at a river in Huixtla 11/35 A Honduran migrant woman taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. has an ultrasound done to check her pregnancy during a stop in their journey at the Central Park in Huixtla 12/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.Ss rest at a makeshift camp during a stop in Huixtla 13/35 A Central American migrant traveling with a caravan to the U.S plays basketball on a temporary shelter in Huixtla 14/35 Honduran migrants aboard a truck on their way to Tapachula 15/35 Honduran migrants in a caravan to the U.S 16/35 Aerial view of Honduran migrants aboard a truck as they take part in the caravan on the outskirts of Tapachula 17/35 A Honduran migrant family taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S 18/35 Aerial view of Honduran migrants in Tapachula 19/35 Honduran migrants rest on their arrival in Huixtla as they take part in a caravan heading to the U.S 20/35 A Central American migrant who fell from the back of a moving vehicle and died 21/35 Central American migrants traveling in a caravan to the U.S 22/35 A Mexican federal police officer speaks with Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the U.S on the road linking Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula 23/35 Honduran migrants on a makeshift raft cross the Suchiate River 24/35 A Honduran migrant in a caravan toward the U.S waits to cross the border from Ciudad Tecun Uman 25/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S 26/35 An aerial view of migrants in a caravan headed toward the U.S 27/35 A group of Honduran migrants arrives to the Mexican side of the border after crossing the Suchiate River aboard a raft made out of tractor inner tubes and wooden planks 28/35 Thousands of migrants from Honduras who forced their way through Guatemala’s northwestern border flooded onto a bridge leading to Mexico and waited in the hope of continuing their journey to the United States 29/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the United States board makeshift rafts to cross the Suchiate River natural border between Guatemala and Mexico 30/35 Members of the migrant caravan from Honduras rest on a bridge over the Suchiate River which forms the Guatemala-Mexico border in Ciudad Tecun Uman 31/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the United States cross the Suchiate River 32/35 A Honduran migrant traveling as part of a caravan prepares to jump into the Suchiate River from the Guatemala-Mexico international border bridge 33/35 Honduran migrants heading in a caravan toward the United States wait to help fellow men get down to the Suchiate River from the Guatemala-Mexico international border bridge 34/35 Honduran migrants heading in a caravan toward the United States rest at a temporary shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo 35/35 Hundreds of demonstrators with a Honduran flag protest in favor of the caravan of migrants who are currently stuck on the Guatemala-Mexico border Print Reporting from Tapachula Mexico — A migrant caravan from Central America that has drawn the ire of the Trump administration moved slowly north Thursday advancing beyond the Mexican town of Mapastepec in southeastern Chiapas state has thinned since about 7,000 people crossed into southern Mexico from Guatemala in recent days Many people crossed illegally on rafts across the river that marks the border between the two nations Unofficial estimates indicated that some 3,500 to 4,000 people were in the caravan when it reached Mapastepec about 90 miles north of the Mexico-Guatemala border It was unclear what route the caravan would take and at what point the marchers might arrive along the almost 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border Some caravan members may disperse and head to various crossing points Some may attempt to catch rides on a northbound freight train Is the U.S. really facing a border crisis? » 13 in Honduras and has made its way through Guatemala and southeastern Mexico despite broiling temperatures and occasional downpours Many caravan participants have dropped out because of the difficulties the group stretched out over several miles along the Pan-American Highway which is bordered by mango and banana plantations and pasture carved out of the semi-jungle landscape The migrants walk and seek rides from motorists and truck drivers and occasionally jump on public transportation Some young men hitch rides on semi-trailers was killed after being run over by a vehicle the caravan members typically rest for an evening or more often staying on streets and in plazas and parks church volunteers and local families have provided food Many caravan participants have suffered from dehydration Neither Mexican police nor immigration officials have made a concerted effort to deter the group Many caravan participants say they are fleeing poverty and violence in Central America The Trump administration has characterized some as criminals and economic migrants and say they do not qualify for political asylum in the United States More than 1,600 former caravan participants are applying for refugee status in Mexico and are being kept at a sprawling fairgrounds site in Tapachula about 20 miles north of the border with Guatemala President Trump has portrayed the caravan’s bedraggled assemblage as a national security threat during campaign appearances in advance of U.S Mexican authorities have straddled a line between their avowed respect for human rights for migrants—Mexico is a major source of immigrants in the United States—and pressure from Washington to halt the migrants’ advance about 50 miles north of the Guatemalan border more than 200 exhausted and ailing caravan participants returned south late Wednesday on four buses Honduran diplomats in Mexico helped arrange the return trip but my daughter has a fever and she needs rest to get better,” said Merlyn Guardado she said she heard the news about the caravan on TV “I did it for the kids more than anything,” Guardado said while seated in the plaza in Huixtla four buses pulled up in the plaza in Huixtla to take them back to Honduras “We’ll be home at this time tomorrow,” said Guardado Other northbound caravans reportedly have been forming in Central America despite attempts by authorities in Honduras and Guatemala to thwart such efforts Trump has said Central American nations could face aid cutoffs because of the northward flow of migrants Mexican authorities this week moved to shut off illegal crossings along the border with Guatemala Mexican immigration authorities were stationed in large numbers on the muddy northern side of the Rio Suchiate Among those detained Wednesday by Mexican immigration agents for processing and possible deportation was Claudia Maria Jimenez who said her husband vanished in Mexico more than a year ago “I just came to look for my husband,” Jimenez said patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. 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. Print Reporting from Ciudad Hidalgo Mexico — Nearly 1,000 Central American migrants from a U.S.-bound caravan crossed illegally into southern Mexico on Saturday vowing to continue their controversial journey north most of them from impoverished and violence-plagued Honduras crossed the Suchiate River — which defines the border between Guatemala and Mexico — after the caravan was denied entry at an official Mexican border crossing Friday their possessions wrapped in plastic garbage bags while others boarded rafts or waded through the fast-moving water with the assistance of a rope strung from the banks Hundreds of Mexican federal police officers and immigration agents did not move to stop the migrants who crossed illegally despite repeated warnings from Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in recent days that “irregular” immigration would not be tolerated There was a range of estimates of how many people crossed illegally The federal government said it was roughly 900 head of the civil protection agency in the municipality of Suchiate He said that 7,233 immigrants have been registered in the last three days at a shelter in the border town of Ciudad Hidalgo and that his agency has been asked to help provide the immigrants with food and shelter Hernandez was not sure whether the government planned to try to deport the new arrivals “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said The federal government said 2,200 other migrants remained in Guatemala many of them camped out on the international border bridge that leads to Mexico Some said they want to seek political asylum in order to stay in Mexico while others said they were holding out hope that Mexico would open the border and let them continue toward the United States “We are hungry; we are thirsty,” said Suami Castillo as she waited with her toddler son on the bridge which reeked of urine and rotting trash in the sub-tropical swelter We ask the president of Mexico to open the border for us.” the bridge was the scene of a violent melee that erupted when a larger group of migrants stormed through Guatemalan frontier barricades and tried to force their way into Mexico Hundreds of Mexican police in riot gear thwarted that effort to breach the border — an operation that drew praise from President Trump who has labeled the assemblage of bedraggled migrants a threat to U.S security and vowed to call out the military should the migrants make it to the U.S.-Mexico boundary Trump said he was grateful to Mexico for stopping the caravan speculating that the country’s strong response was “because they respect the leader of the United States.” immigrants were streaming illegally into Mexico — and officials were not trying to stop them many more Hondurans began to leave the bridge and sought to enter Mexico via rafts from the Guatemalan side hundreds of immigrants who had crossed the river illegally were celebrating in a plaza in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Hidalgo dancing to the music of a live marimba band Each time a group of newly arrived migrants entered the plaza Mexican immigration agents occasionally circled the plaza in vans and dozens of federal police patrolled on foot but none of them moved to detain the immigrants The migrants have been joined by activists from Pueblos Sin Fronteras an immigrant advocacy group that organized a caravan of Central Americans earlier this spring that drew the ire of President Trump and prompted him to send National Guard troops to the border said his organization did not organize this caravan which was launched about a week ago in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula He said about two dozen volunteers with the group decided to come help the migrants transit through Mexico He said he helped about 450 immigrants cross the river Saturday and said the caravan planned to start its journey north in the next day or two Just what will happen to the caravan remains to be seen Mexican immigration checkpoints line the roads from the Guatemalan border and Mexican authorities have aggressively sought out arrested and deported tens of thousands of undocumented Central Americans in recent years Members of the caravan hope that by traveling together in a large group they will be less vulnerable to immigration authorities Members of the large caravan that departed this spring were given transit visas that allowed them to pass through Mexico to reach the United States as President Trump has warned of dire consequences for Mexico and Central American nations if the caravan is not stopped Peña Nieto insisted that his country would not allow the migrants to enter en masse and that only those with visas or valid refugee claims would be allowed to enter “Like any sovereign nation … Mexico will not permit irregular entry into its territory — and much less in a violent manner,” Peña Nieto said Friday in a stern national address “Mexico remains ready to help migrants who decide to enter our country respecting our laws.” Mexican immigration officials did let some people pass through the border checkpoint Officials said they had received 640 applications from Hondurans seeking refugee status in Mexico Officials gave no indication of the status of the requests But applicants for refugee status in Mexico are generally granted temporary residence until their applications are processed The caravan has posed a significant dilemma for Mexican authorities pitting the country’s crucial relations with Washington against its asserted respect for human rights and compassion for migrants Mexican authorities routinely assail what they call the Trump administration’s xenophobic rhetoric about Mexican immigrants in the United States and its insistence that Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S But Mexico and Central American nations have come under intense pressure to halt the caravan from Trump who has repeatedly highlighted the 3,000-strong caravan during campaign rallies in advance of next month’s U.S “They’re not coming into this country: They may as well turn back,” Trump said Friday in Arizona The presidents of Honduras and Guatemala — both heavily dependent on U.S support — met Saturday in the Guatemalan capital and were working on a plan to take Honduran migrants not allowed into Mexico back to their homeland At least 10 buses filled with Honduran migrants had already left the Guatemalan border town of Tecun Uman “They’re not going to let us pass,” said a dejected Julissa Hernandez who was aboard a small bus heading back toward Honduras from Guatemala she said she had left Honduras in search of work in the United States But she concluded that it wasn’t worth risking her life and opted to go home remained intent on continuing their journey despite what they perceived as Mexico’s hard line because of the lack of opportunity and rampant crime in Honduras you can’t leave your house without fear that they will kill you,” said Johana Flores who was resting in a park on the Guatemalan side I will die of hunger or be killed by the gangs.” The Trump administration has characterized most U.S.-bound Central Americans as economic migrants who have no legal standing to enter the United States Washington has generally rejected fear of criminal violence as a basis for political asylum and has repeatedly linked Central American migrants to violent gangs such as MS-13 “You got some bad people in those groups,” Trump said Friday at the Arizona rally white steel gate that marked the Mexican side Red-eyed mothers and fathers cradled crying infants citizen and California resident who heads an immigrant advocacy group as she livestreamed the scene to friends in Honduras Mexican immigration officials handed out cups of water through the border fence --Staff Writer Linthicum reported from Ciudad Hidalgo and McDonnell from Mexico City Cecilia Sanchez in the Times’ Mexico City bureau contributed 8:05 p.m.: This story has been updated with additional details and background. This story was originally published at 1:55 p.m. There is a new record for the world's largest string cheese ball The town of Pijijiapan in Mexico made an almost 1231 pound ball of cheese using over 1,500 gallons of milk The ball of "quesillo" cheese was created with the work of 80 workers According to Guinness World Records the previous record was 771 pounds The ball of \"quesillo\" cheese was created with the work of 80 workers and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox EJÉRCITO ZAPATISTA DE LIBERACIÓN NACIONAL.MÉXICO A quienes firmaron la Declaración por la Vida:A la Sexta Nacional e Internacional:Al Congreso Nacional Indígena:A los pueblos de México y el mundo: Les explicamos lo que pasó con los dos compañeros bases de apoyo zapatistas José Baldemar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Säntiz Gómez que fueron detenidos ilegalmente y secuestrados por las fuerzas conjuntas del gobierno federal y el estatal el pasado 26 de abril de este 2025 Estuvieron en calidad de desaparecidos por 55 horas y sólo fueron presentados ante la autoridad corrupta gracias a la presión del Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Fueron acusados de secuestro agravado en contra de Pedro Díaz Gómez el ejército federal y las llamadas Fuerzas de Reacción Inmediata Pakal aprovecharon y se robaron pertenencias y paga de los afectados y de las comunidades una motocicleta y una fuerte cantidad de dinero en efectivo Mientras el supremo gobierno jugaba con la vida libertad y bienes de los dos detenidos ilegalmente las autoridades autónomas zapatistas llevaron adelante su propia investigación con la guía de Verdad y Justicia en común como pueblos organizados que somos en común están las de no permitir el tráfico de drogas Así como las borracheras y otras faltas que son determinadas en común Conocida la detención y grave acusación en contra de estos dos compañeros los GALEZ investigaron si es que andan metidos en asuntos de secuestro La estructura organizativa encargada de investigar llegó a la conclusión de que los dos compañeros son inocentes las autoridades autónomas siguieron investigando y llegaron a confirmar la participación en el crimen de otras dos personas se pusieron bajo custodia en una de las comunidades zapatistas Los dos criminales confesaron el secuestro y asesinato en contra de Pedro Díaz Gómez y señalaron el lugar preciso donde habían enterrado el cuerpo Señalaron la complicidad de otras personas quien lo comunicó a las autoridades del mal gobierno Viendo que quedarían una vez más en ridículo las autoridades corruptas corrieron a movilizar a sus fuerzas y detuvieron a uno de los señalados que estaba prófugo Esta persona confirmó lo confesado a las autoridades zapatistas Fue así como llegaron al lugar donde estaba enterrado el cuerpo de la víctima del delito Todo esto lo supo el gobierno en sus tres niveles de gobierno En lugar de liberar inmediatamente a nuestros compañeros inocentes le dieron largas al asunto y propusieron un intercambio de detenidos Así podrían sobornar a los medios de comunicación y venderles la historia de que todo había sido mérito de la justicia estatal y federal Y también podrían quedarse con lo que robaron a los originarios pobres que sufrieron su ataque El mal gobierno volvió a mandar a sus fuerzas represivas en búsqueda de un cuarto implicado también aprovecharon para seguir robando pertenencias de las comunidades las autoridades federales y estatales presionaban y amenazaban a los defensores de derechos humanos porque su denuncia los iba a mostrar tal cual son: unos represores de inocentes y fabricantes de culpables En la madrugada de este 2 de mayo del 2025 se entregaron a los dos criminales confesos detenidos por los zapatistas al Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas para que revisaran el estado de salud de los detenidos y certificaran si habían sido violados sus derechos El Frayba procedió a entregar a los culpables a la autoridad oficialista En el transcurso de la mañana de este día 2 de mayo nuestros compañeros Baldemar y Andrés fueron liberados Pero los robadores gubernamentales se niegan a devolver todo lo que despojaron Los gobiernos de la mal llamada 4T mienten en todo lo que dicen respecto a los pueblos originarios y los movimientos sociales Son iguales o peores que los gobiernos priístas y panistas anteriores Esas cantidades que presumen de “detenidos” En lugar de comprar opiniones favorables en los medios y redes sociales los malos gobiernos deberían pagarles bien a sus fuerzas represivas para que no tenga que robar a quienes menos o nada tienen Lo sucedido no es sólo en nuestros territorios los migrantes y hasta las personas sencillas que trabajan día a día para ganarse honestamente el sustento diario encarceladas y asesinadas por un gobierno ansioso por congraciarse con el poder del dinero sin importar las banderas bajo las que se esconda Su signo es la muerte y así lo llevará hasta el fin de sus días Como pueblos zapatistas hemos pensado en una forma de combatir al imperio de la muerte se vio que el Común camina por la verdad y la justicia Este logro de la liberación de nuestros dos compañeros inocentes fue fruto de un triple esfuerzo: el de los defensores de los derechos humanos el de la solidaridad y apoyo nacional e internacional Es momento de no olvidar a otros pueblos hermanos que sufren los ataques mortales del mal sistema a los desaparecidos y a quienes les buscan a las personas que sólo son un número en las estadísticas del crimen Compañeros y compañeras les informamos con alegría que por la irrefutable inocencia de los compañeros se demostró de manera contundente y por las acciones persistentes de quienes se movilizaron: personas en lo individual organizaciones… Las exigencias de libertad total fueron irrebatibles,  así se obtuvo la libertad absoluta y se logró arrebatar de las garras del mal gobierno a las BAEZLN que viva la resistencia por la Verdad y la Justicia A los pueblos de México y del mundo,A los organismos y colectivos defensores de derechos humanos,A las Redes de Resistencia y Rebeldía,A la Sexta Nacional e Internacional,A l@s firmantes de Una Declaración por la Vida en los cinco continentes,A la Europa Insumisa nuestros compañeros Baldemar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez bases de apoyo del Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional fueron detenidos de manera arbitraria por elementos de las fuerzas de seguridad del estado mexicano en todos sus niveles de gobierno Su detención no fue un error: fue una advertencia una muestra más de la guerra que se libra contra quienes defienden la vida desmembrando la paz para convertirla en terror civiles armados: todos al servicio del despojo de los intereses que quieren borrar la autonomía desde su raíz y fabricaron delitos a los compañeros inocentes como lo hacen quienes saben que su poder no tiene ley ni ética; porque lo que buscan no es justicia Buscan desmontar la organización de los pueblos callar la palabra colectiva que se niega a obedecer POR ESO AQUEL DÍA LAS FUERZAS REPRESIVAS DEL ESTADO MEXICANO IBAN CON ÓRDENES DE APREHENSIÓN EN CONTRA DE DETERMINADAS PERSONAS APREHENDIERON EN SU LUGAR A NUESTROS COMPAÑEROS BALDEMAR SÁNTIZ SÁNTIZ Y ANDRÉS MANUEL SÁNTIZ GÓMEZ; AL HACERLO VIOLARON SUS DERECHOS HUMANOS MÁS ELEMENTALES SE LOS LLEVARON SECUESTRADOS AL CENTRO ESTATAL DE REINSERCIÓN SOCIAL PARA SENTENCIADOS NÚMERO CINCO DE SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS La ofensiva contra los compañeros zapatistas se suma al cerco militar y policiaco desplegado durante el Encuentro Rebel y Revel Arte convocado por el EZLN en el Caracol de Jacinto Canek y el CIDECI de San Cristóbal de Las Casas la palabra rebelde y la construcción de alternativas son vistas por el poder criminal que gobierna este país como amenazas Con esta embestida quieren expandir la nación de víctimas y dolor que es la 4T pero nosotros y nosotras somos pueblos que luchan que caminan construyendo la vida en la tierra que nos vio nacer La represión no nos dobla; la desaparición no nos borra; el miedo no nos paraliza como árboles viejos que han aprendido a resistir el fuego Decimos claro que la desaparición forzada es política de Estado Sabemos que la alianza entre gobierno y crimen organizado no es una excepción de justicia y de libertad que no se arrodillan ante el dinero transnacional ni las armas que portan sus grupos legales o ilegales convocamos con urgencia a los pueblos de México y del mundo a los organismos y colectivos defensores de derechos humanos a l@s firmantes de Una Declaración por la Vida en los cinco continentes y a la Europa Insumisa A REALIZAR LAS JORNADAS GLOBALES POR LA LIBERTAD INMEDIATA DE BALDEMAR SÁNTIZ SÁNTIZ Y ANDRÉS MANUEL SÁNTIZ GÓMEZ BASES DE APOYO DEL EJÉRCITO ZAPATISTA DE LIBERACIÓN NACIONAL Y A NO PARARLAS HASTA LOGRAR SU LIBERTAD INCONDICIONAL MEDIANTE ACCIONES EN CADA UNA DE NUESTRAS GEOGRAFÍAS Y DE ACUERDO A NUESTROS MODOS Que la rabia se transforme en acción organizada Que la dignidad encuentre  eco en cada corazón que no ha olvidado el valor de la verdad esa que construye nuevos mundos en miles de lugares del planeta y que desde ahí nos sumemos a la demanda de justicia ¡ Libertad inmediata para Baldemar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez AtentamenteAbril de 2025Por la Reconstitución Integral de Nuestros PueblosNunca Más un México sin NosotrosCongreso Nacional Indígena Exigimos la libertad inmediata de las Bases de Apoyo del EZLN José Baldemar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez Denunciamos enérgicamente la criminalización y represión sistemática del Estado mexicano contra el Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) y sus Bases de Apoyo José Baldemar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez quienes fueron privados arbitrariamente de su libertad en un operativo que se efectuó en la comunidad de San Pedro Cotzilnam lo que representa un ataque directo al movimiento zapatista y al territorio donde se construye la Autonomía y la Libre Determinación en la persistente lucha por la Vida y el Común En las primeras horas del domingo 27 de abril de 2025 las BAEZLN fueron ingresados al Centro Estatal de Reinserción Social para Sentenciados (CERSS) No bajo acusaciones de secuestro agravado en un proceso plagado de irregularidades La detención de las BAEZLN se realizó sin orden de aprehensión y los cateos a sus hogares se llevaron a cabo sin autorización judicial robos y violaciones flagrantes a sus derechos humanos perpetradas por las fuerzas de seguridad y militares incluyendo la Guardia Nacional y las Fuerzas de Reacción Inmediata Pakal evidencian un patrón sistemático de represión y violencia estatal en Chiapas El caso es un ejemplo más de la estrategia de criminalización utilizada por la Fiscalía General del Estado de Chiapas que fabrica pruebas y acusa injustamente a personas inocentes mientras los verdaderos responsables permanecen impunes Este ataque no solo viola los derechos individuales de José Baldemar y Andrés sino que también constituye una agresión al territorio y la autonomía de los pueblos zapatistas Por lo consiguiente exigimos a los gobiernos federal y estatal: ¡Llamamos a la solidaridad nacional e internacional organizaciones y movimientos a movilizarse en sus tiempos y modos Es urgente alzar la voz para detener la represión del Estado y garantizar la libertad de los compañeros BAEZLN quienes hoy son rehenes de un sistema represivo Manténganse atentos a las actualizaciones de este caso y actúen en defensa de la dignidad la justicia y los derechos humanos y por la defensa de la autonomía Al firmar esta Acción se enviará automáticamente un correo con tu dirección como remitente a autoridades gubernamentales. Más información en la política de privacidad. https://frayba.org.mx/firma-por-la-libertad-inmediata-de-las-bases-de-apoyo-del-ezln-jose-baldemar-santiz-santiz-y-andres Descarga la Acción Urgente No. 02 en PDF(98.25 KB) más de 40 organizaciones de la Red de Europa Zapatista denunciamos la violencia que afecta a los pueblos originarios y a la población civil de México A el Congreso Nacional IndígenaA el EZLNA los medios alternativos libres y/o autónomosA los medios de pagaA las Organizaciones de Derechos Humanos a nivel Nacional e Internacional Una vez más nos enteramos en la Europ Insumisa que en México se asesina se continúan violando los Derechos Humanos se secuestra y se desaparece a aquell@s que buscan la vida a quienes luchan por defender el medio ambiente y el territorio lider histórico del Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a la Presa La Parota falleció el 25 de abril después de siete dias de convalecencia tras el ataque armado perpetrado en su contra el 18 de abril cuando terminaba sus labores en la bahía de Acapulco Marco Antonio debía estar bajo la protección dispuesta por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos Al momento del ataque Marco Antonio estaba solo integrante del Colectivo Guerrero Buscadores de Jalisco fueron asesinados la noche del 23 de abril en el parque del Fraccionamiento Las Villas varias comunidades indígenas de Michoacán denunciaron acciones violentas por parte del grupo delictivo Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación El gobierno local ha minimizado los hechos violentos negando incluso la violencia contra lxs defensorxs las madres buscadoras y las comunidades autónomas Estos hechos son algunos en la larga lista de víctimas de una violencia que va día con día en aumento ataques armados en contra de las poblaciones El Estado mexicano niega y oculta la realidad Es parte del problema al no reconocer la crisis de derechos humanos que atraviesa el país y al facilitar la operación de grupos armados en diversas áreas del país Al día de hoy hay al menos 127 mil personas desaparecidas en todo el país incluyendo miles de migrantes centroamericanos y del Caribe en su paso hacia Estados Unidos Como denunció y documentó el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas la Agencia de Investigación de Inteligencia Ministerial la Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana del Gobierno Federal acompañados de dos vehículos con personas civiles armadas realizaron cateos sin órdenes judiciales en domicilios de familias Bases de Apoyo Zapatistas en la zona del caracol 2 de Oventik De manera violenta detuvieron a los compañeros tsotsiles José Baldermar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez Por 55 horas no se supo de su paradero y las autoridades no emitieron ninguna información al respecto a sus familiares Los compañeros fueron puestos a disposición del Juzgado de Control y Tribunal de Enjuciamiento de San Cristóbal de las Casas sin aclarar el motivo de su detención ni los detalles de las 55 horas en las cuales estuvieron en calidad de desaparecidos El ataque contra las Bases de Apoyo Zapatistas ocurre a una semana del Encuentro de arte rebeldía y resistencia convocado por el EZLN donde el subcomandante Moisés denunció las amenazas constantes al Cideci y al Caracol 7 Jacinto Canek por parte de la Guardia Nacional y del grupo Pakal una fuerza policial especial creada recientemente por el nuevo gobernador de Chiapas En lugar de amenazar las iniciativas de autogestión y autonomía y a quienes buscan construir un mundo distinto al de la opresión capitalista las autoridades deberían garantizar el ejercicio de los derechos de las comunidades Zapatistas y el acceso a la justicia para l@s defensores de derechos y las madres buscadoras así como la no repetición de crímenes como la desaparición forzada los asesinatos por causas políticas y la represión Pero esas mismas autoridades son parte de la causa de estos problemas En México hay una guerra que comenzó en los años 1960 La narrativa absolvente para el Estado de la narcodemocracia ya no se sostiene ilegales y el Estado llevan a cabo con el interés de controlar el territorio para especular con la vida Los asesinatos de Marco Antonio Suástegui y María del Carmen Morales son sólo una prueba más a l@s adherentes a la Sexta y a la Declaración por la Vida a firmar la denuncia del FrayBa para la liberación de José Baldermar Sántiz Sántiz y Andrés Manuel Sántiz Gómez: https://frayba.org.mx/actualizacion-fuerzas-de-seguridad-y-militares-desaparecen-2-bases-de-apoyo-zapatistas ¡Desde la Europa Insumisa y Rebelde denunciamos la violencia que afecta a los pueblos originarios y a la población civil de México!¡No más guerra en México!¡No más guerra contra los movimientos sociales y las comunidades en resistencia!¡No más guerra contra el EZLN!¡México no es un territorio de conquista Los días 13 a 19 de abril de 2025, el EZLN organizó el Encuentro (Rebel y Revel) Arte realizado en el Caracol Jacinto Canek y en el Cideci / Universidad de la Tierra Chiapas El eveto es parte de una serie de encuentros con el fin de reflexionar sobre la crisis civilizatoria que atravesamos imaginar otra humanidad posible y caminar de forma conciente y colectiva rumbo al “día después” Aquí compartimos algunas de las presentaciones a lo largo de los 7 días del encuentro COMUNICADO POR EL FEMINICIDIO COMETIDO CONTRA MI COMPAÑERA DE LUCHA: SANDRADOMINGUEZ De lo que digo a partir de este momento es solo mi responsabilidad y para ello solo tengo mi palabra.Escribo este comunicado desde mi comunidad recordando que SandraDominguez tuvo una doble raíz El pueblo que la cobijó por parte de su padre fue San Isidro Huayapam Mixe traté de prepararme para el peor escenario y es el que finalmente aconteció buscaron generar un dolor perpetuo porque en el lenguaje del horror porque la muerte cierra un ciclo y deja certeza pero el desaparecer a alguien amplifica el dolor a través de la zozobra La desaparición forzada no existe por casualidad el Estado a través de la historia ha usado la desaparición forzada como un mensaje político a sus disidentes ahora el crimen organizado usa la desaparición forzada como una muestra de control y poder cuando los intereses del Estado y los intereses del crimen organizado encuentran un enemigo en común sucede lo que ha sucedido con Sandra Dominguez porque aunque la narrativa oficial gubernamental haya canalizado todo su esfuerzo y recursos a su alcance para imponer una versión que criminaliza al esposo de Sandra,y defender a personajes impresentables como a su funcionario Donato Vargas lo único que ha hecho es obviar que se protege a quienes fueron señalados por Sandra Para que el crimen organizado y las células delincuenciales ejecutaran materialmente la desaparición forzada y el feminicidio de Sandra Dominguez es porque hay una estructura institucional del gobierno oaxaqueño que facilitó en primera su operatividad y ampliación de actividades criminales en poblaciones donde el gobierno había mantenido a discrecionalidad el estado de sitio que poblaciones como María Lombardo llevan viviendo desde hace años el avance del crimen organizado hacia la zona Mixe por San Juan Cotzocón es innegable a pesar de que hace años denuncié esa realidad ahora insistimos con este gobierno de Jara quienes lo minimizaron nombrándolo como situaciones de violencia orquestadas por grupos generadores de violencia cuidando de no nombrar lo que es un hecho: que en Oaxaca nos empieza a azotar el CRIMEN ORGANIZADO Tuvo que desaparecer Sandra para que por primera vez se atendiera y ejecutaran acciones de desarticulación en pueblos que venían siendo atormentados de hace muchotiempo por la violencia esos matones están protegidos por ministerios públicos por políticos y operadores políticos de la zona donde precisamente Sandra hacía activismo y era una figura incómoda porque llegó a documentar dichas alianzas y es una información que en su momento tendrá que salir a la luz Sandra denunció a diversos funcionarios por su participación en grupos virtuales donde se agrede a mujeres indígenas ahí estuvimos hombro a hombro acompañándola Pero poco se sabe de qué varios de esos funcionarios denunciados tienen vínculos con el crimen organizado que la desapareció precisamente en esa zona estamos ante la implementación de una verdad histórica la prioridad del gobierno oaxaqueño es dejar en claro que ellos no fueron mantienen en el poder a quienes Sandra denunció con evidencias Previamente dije: Es importante la participación de instancias federales para romper con el conflicto de interés que tiene el gobierno en el caso de la desaparición pero aún me parece muy lejano que vayamos a conocer la verdad estoy seguro que las respuestas de lo que cuestionamos que la verdad que buscamos no llegará pronto No puedo decir tajantemente aún si a Sandra la desapareció y asesinó el estado que a Sandra la desapareció y asesinaron el crimen organizado y operadores del gobierno oaxaqueño a los que Sandra había denunciado llama la atención que el presunto responsable de su desaparición haya sido ejecutado en uno de los operativos llama la atención que una detenida haya sido elemento policial llama la atención el financiamiento a medios y bots que buscan a toda costa criminalizar e imponer la versión oficial Pero la historia de mi amiga y colega Sandra Dominguez no acaba con su muerte que el país ya no necesita más perseguidos asesinados están sembradas desde su mamá y compartidas con sus hermanas y hermano que no descansaron hasta que Sandra regresara a casa y esas virtudes las compartió con nosotros con toda las personas que la conocieron y por ello su historia continúa en cada lucha porque aunque su muerte es un mensajeclaro de intimidación a quienes ponemos la palabra y el cuerpo para defender derechos humanos vamos a transformar el miedo en valor y acción.COMUNICADO POR EL FEMINICIDIO COMETIDO CONTRA MI COMPAÑERA DE LUCHA: SANDRA DOMINGUEZ Quiero agradecer a todas las personas que no soltaron el tema que ayudaron a nombrarla en todos los espacios y pedirles que sigamos nombrando a Sandra porque si bien ha culminado la búsqueda física Agradezco a la oficina del Alto Comosionado y a la Comisión de Desaparición de la ONU por prestar ojos y oídos a Sandra GRACIAS POR TODO MI QUERIDA AMIGA SANDRA DOMINGUEZ AGRADEZCO ESE PRIMER MENSAJE CON EL QUE EMPEZÓ TODO Joaquín GalvánActivista de Derechos Humanos Mateo es el creador de extraordinarias obras de Stop Motion La Teia dos Povos (Tejido de los Pueblos) es una articulación de movimientos sociales autonomistas en Brasil indígena y popular en el campo y la ciudad del Movimiento de Lucha por la Tierra y la Teia dos Povos creó el cortometraje de ficcion “Candinga” sobre “el día después” del colapso civilizatorio y la ancestralidad indígena y negra como fuentes para reconstruir el mundo sagrado alimento de los pueblos originarios de Brasil Christy Petropolou presentó varios videos: “IJÉ MARIRÃ Ã – Siempre recordar” sobre la cultura de lo común entre los pueblos Kayapó Mebengokre en la Amazonia en Brasil Documenta la ceremonia de juramentación de la jefa Pãnh-Ô Kayapó (mayo de 2023) la pintura corporal y la elaboración de la comida tradicional Kayapó Destaca la importancia de las Ferias Tradicionales de Semillas para el pueblo Mebengokré y su intención de participar en el Festival de Semillas de Peliti El Festival de Semillas de Peliti es una grande feria de libre intercambio de semillas El video “Que miren al cielo” (να βλέπουν τον ουρανό) sobre el despojo de Lesvos Solidarity por el espacio de PIKPA que habla de la criminalización de la solidaridad con los refugiados en Lesvos Grecia: Compañeros de la Juventud Comunista presentaron “El canto del papán” un cortometraje que retrata la importancia biocultural de la tierra y el territorio para las comunidades totonacas así como las problemáticas y amenazas que se presentan por la extracción de hidrocarburos un ave protector que avisa a los habitantes de la selva sobre intrusos se narran las transformación que ha vivido la región de Papantla El Colectivo Komún Cinema realizó, del 29 de julio al 27 de septiembre del 2024, acciónes formativas compuestas por 10 talleres cortos de disciplinas diversas @ las faldas del volcán en la periferia de la capital Michoacana, intitulados “REConociendo el territorio”. Algunos de los audiovisuales resultantes se pueden encontrar aquí: https://www.komuncinema.mx/elterritorioquehabitamos/ Durante el Encuentro (Rebel y Revel) Arte, realizado en el Caracol Jacinto Canek y en el Cideci/UniTierra Chiapas, se presentó una gran diversidad de obras de artes plásticas. Aquí un registro fotográfico realizado por Radio Zapatista. migrant caravan pauses in Mexico to regroup 1/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. Print Reporting from Huixtla Mexico — This center of this town about 50 miles north of Mexico’s southern border has been transformed into a giant homeless camp Thousands of Hondurans began arriving here early Monday and by late Tuesday filled up the central plaza seeking out whatever shade they could find from the subtropical swelter but we are determined to continue this journey,” said Evelyn Perdono a 31-year-old mother of four who was seated on a low stone wall next to her sister and infant niece In the 11 days since the caravan left Honduras the political controversy surrounding it has shown no sign of fading Pompeo told reporters Tuesday that without an accounting of who was in the caravan it posed “an unacceptable security risk” to the United States “You will not be successful in getting into the United States who had tweeted that “Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in” the caravan acknowledged when pressed by reporters Tuesday that he had no evidence for that claim but they very well could be,” Trump said during a bill signing in the Oval Office Read more: Is the U.S. really facing a border crisis? » He said Border Patrol officials told him that “over the course of a number of years they’ve intercepted many people from the Middle East” including members of Islamic State “wonderful people from the Middle East” and “bad ones.” Vice President Mike Pence said it would be “inconceivable” that some Middle Easterners were not in the caravan based on his own claim — which has since been widely debunked — that each day the United States prevents 10 terrorists or suspected terrorists from entering the country hundreds of migrants used sticks and garbage bags to construct tents in the central plaza They laid down blankets and strung ropes between trees to hang drenched clothing More drying garments were strewn on railings The central gazebo was stacked with strollers caravan members rested after days of walking A group of men played cards on the plaza pavement A man with a megaphone implored people to place garbage in huge white plastic bags that the town had placed in and around the plaza Residents of this town — the seat of a municipality that is home to more than 100,000 — seemed to take the sudden influx in stride “They are our brothers: It could be us in this situation,” said Samuel Orozco an evangelical pastor who was helping to coordinate aid for the multitudes from a stage in the central plaza here A man in a cart dispensed free glasses of the rice water drink known as horchata The town also provided some portable toilets and foldable tents Four Red Cross vans lined a side of the park offering medical assistance and free two-minute calls back home on cellphones who was helping to coordinate Red Cross activities Mexican authorities have not attempted to stop the migrants from advancing northward from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Hidalgo despite the presence of hundreds of Mexican federal police in the area Thousands of migrants passed by a Mexican immigration checkpoint on Monday without being bothered The question for many is what will happen at the U.S “We hope Trump will let us in,” said Daisy Rodriguez as she fanned herself Tuesday on a park bench Threats by Trump to call up the military along the border do not seem to faze the bedraggled travelers a young migrant was crushed by a vehicle Monday as the group traveled along the busy Pan American Highway lay on the highway for more than an hour before authorities removed it There was talk among the migrants of holding a memorial for the young man The migrants planned to resume their journey by early Wednesday at the latest fluid unit than a serpentine mass of humanity Some migrants hitch rides or jump onto moving tractor-trailers They march by banana and mango plantations and cattle pasture The U.S.-Mexico border is still more than 1,000 miles away Just here in the southern state of Chiapas the migrants must pass a half dozen Mexican immigration checkpoints some migrants may jump on freight trains known here as La Bestia a hazardous journey that has cost many Central American migrants their lives or limbs over the decades news has been emerging of new migrant caravans Nobody here seems to know anything about that They are similarly unaware of Trump’s hostile Twitter messages and political pronouncements and somewhat bemused that their ragtag journey has taken on a kind of geopolitical weight “We have nothing but respect for President Trump,” declared Jose Rodriguez who carried a white flag lauding “Peace” and “God.” depending on the kindness of strangers and aid-givers The migrants say the hardships of the journey are worth the prospective payoffs — life in the United States they can escape relentless poverty and crime and earn a measure of advancement “The idea is to find some work and do what I can to help my children,” said Rodriguez “Back home there is no future for anyone.” Mexico — A caravan of immigrants continued its march north into Mexico on Monday even as President Trump criticized the Mexican government and threatened to cut off aid to three Central American nations for allowing their people to leave The caravan has swelled to several thousand people and has provided Trump with an issue certain to rally his Republican base around the need for tighter immigration enforcement But the northward-bound immigrants expressed little awareness of U.S and insisted that they were only trying to escape violence “This is nothing against President Trump,” said Jose Rodriguez This is about us Hondurans and the impossible lives we face and the chance for a better life in the United States.” or substantially reducing” aid to Guatemala Honduras and El Salvador for failing to prevent the caravan from heading north Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S the massive foreign aid routinely given to them which has allowed thousands of immigrants to illegally enter its territory in recent days and now appears to be allowing them to march en masse toward the U.S Trump said Monday that he has alerted the U.S Customs and Border Protection that the caravan represents a “national emergency.” it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy Members of the caravan spent Sunday night curled up in the central plaza parks and other sites in the subtropical city of Tapachula most of the group set out on foot to reach the town of Huixtla women and children to the rear,” shouted an organizer with a megaphone the caravan endured its first confirmed fatality when a young man was hit and killed by a vehicle on a four-lane highway about 10 miles north of Tapachula many caravaners had begun jumping into passing pickup trucks and grabbing onto the backs of semi-trailers His body lay on the road in the bright sun covered with a white sheet patterned with flowers His bloodied baseball cap was next to him and his right shoe was missing A group of stunned caravan members stared in shock someone seeking a better life for himself and his family,” said a shaken Edin Mata Mata said he was deported from Florida six months ago after living in the U.S “Of course I want to go back — at least in the United States one can make a life He pointed at the dead man sprawled on the highway As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to dip in the west Many families threw blankets outside a Mexican immigration office at a checkpoint on the Pan American Highway No Mexican authorities were checking documents at the checkpoint but they seem to be holding up,” said Keila Montoya who had traveled overland from Honduras with three children The specter of masses of poor immigrants streaming into developed nations in the West has long been a potent image in anti-immigrant circles French author Jean Raspail’s 1973 fantasy novel “The Camp of the Saints,” imagines masses of people from the Indian subcontinent overwhelming Western Europe while liberals look on and allow it to happen The blatantly racist novel is seen by some who favor strict immigration policy as prescient Trump has stoked fears about the caravan at several rallies across the country in recent days “It looks like the people are walking right through the middle of Mexico,” Trump said Monday at an event in Texas in support of Republican Sen Trump said: “They’re paid a lot of money every year The president claimed on Twitter that the caravan includes criminals as well as “unknown Middle Easterners,” although there is no evidence to support that suggested that there were political motives behind the caravan “We understand there are reports that Honduran opposition parties played a key role in the organization of the caravan,” the official said “We are concerned the individuals in this caravan have been lured by migrant smugglers to make this journey and may be exploited at great risk to themselves and their families.” But many said they’ve left Honduras simply because life there has gotten harder in recent years Honduras is one of the deadliest places in the world that isn’t a war zone with homicide rates many times those in the United States Corruption is endemic — members of the country’s political class have been caught protecting drug traffickers — and the rule of law is nearly nonexistent with the vast majority of crimes resulting in impunity It is impossible to live with such instability He once ran a small grocery store in San Pedro Sula because gang members constantly demanded extortion payments “One group comes one day and makes you pay and the next day another group demands money,” Lopez said “I’ve never been to the United States but everyone says you can lead a decent life there,” said Selvin Morales who made about $200 a month as a construction worker in Honduras Congress allocated a total of $432 million in assistance for Guatemala $391 million for Honduras and $302 for El Salvador according to the Washington Office on Latin America Programs related to security and the judicial sector received the greatest amount of funding — about $500 million and human rights received just 15% of the total — about $195 million — according to WOLA It was unclear whether Trump would be able to follow through on his threats to cut aid to Honduras presidents have significant foreign policy powers as a general matter foreign aid is provided by law enacted by Congress and would have to be changed by law who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Monday that he would work to ensure that Trump does not act without congressional approval Congress — not the president — has the power of the purse,” Engel said in a statement “My colleagues and I will not stand idly by as this administration ignores congressional intent.” Trump threatened to scrap a pending free trade agreement if Mexico did not stop the caravan Under pressure from one of his country’s most important economic allies Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has said repeatedly that no migrants will be allowed to enter the country in an “irregular” manner But the large number of caravan members marching through Mexico on Monday suggested that many thousands had said that at least 7,233 immigrants who crossed illegally had been registered at a shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo a Mexican town on the border with Guatemala When the caravan started marching on Sunday large groups of police officers clad in riot gear blocked the road several times While the large group making its way through Mexico captured international attention another caravan of migrants from Honduras was heading north At least 1,000 have crossed into Guatemala in recent days Immigrants have turned to caravans in recent years for many reasons The caravans are free — compared to the $7,000 often charged by smugglers — and there is safety in numbers from the risks of the migrant trail cartel members and law enforcement — are common 72 kidnapped migrants were killed by a cartel in northern Mexico McDonnell reported from Tapachula and Linthicum from Morelia Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report kate.linthicum@latimes.com patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum, @PmcdonnellLAT 5:50 p.m.: This article has been updated with caravan moving farther north, more quotes from immigrants, background on aid to Central America, other details. 10:05 a.m.: This article has been updated with a description from Tapachula, quotes from migrants, and background. This article was originally published at 9:15 a.m. Kate Linthicum is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Mexico City. another quake — a magnitude 4.8 — hit just outside Pijijiapan Not likely, said Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center "Mexico is very prone to earthquakes," he said "so earthquakes of this size in Mexico are not unusual Getting two in a row of this size so close together is unusual but not unexpected." Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox While the North American landmass is slowly moving west which carries the seafloor and is denser than plates carrying land But Hayes said that although most of these above-below collisions, called subduction zones, involve one point of descent, the Cocos Plate sinks a bit and then flattens out for a long expanse before it begins to sink again Because the location at which it sinks is spread out the resulting earthquakes often occur farther inland than they would at a typical subduction zone "I think this perhaps facilitated the shaking we saw two days ago," Hayes said Some large earthquakes can trigger large aftershocks but that's almost certainly not what happened here the two epicenters are too far away from each other to be causally related Even though both earthquakes occurred on the same subduction slab that goes beneath Central America it was more of a coincidence than anything else that both fault lines were "ready to go," Hayes said But because there are so many fault lines along the subduction zone that runs down the coast of Mexico Hayes thinks it's reasonable to assume that there will be more large earthquakes in the region in the future but not any more than one might normally expect "It's still a significant hazard," he said Original article on Live Science 'This is a very big earthquake': The science behind Myanmar's magnitude 7.7 earthquake Creepy 'ghost lanterns' in South Carolina are not what they seem May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon 1/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. The White House is also preparing to deploy as many as 1,000 additional U.S. troops to assist in security operations at the border in anticipation of the caravan’s arrival, officials said. Under U.S. law, foreign nationals fleeing persecution have the right to apply for asylum once they reach American soil, but the executive order under consideration would suspend that provision and bar Central Americans as a matter of national security, according to those familiar with the proposal. Such a move would probably trigger immediate challenges in U.S. courts. With the midterm election less than two weeks away, Trump has seized on the migrant caravan as a vehicle for his own campaign messaging, depicting the Central American families fleeing violence as dangerous criminals and Democrats as their enablers. According to a draft of the proposed rule reviewed by the Washington Post, the administration argues that the president can use his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare migrants ineligible for asylum because it “would be contrary to the national interest” and “detrimental to the interests of the United States.” The section is the same legal authority he invoked during the travel ban. Several administration officials cautioned that the proposal was not yet finalized and was one of several measures under consideration. Taken together, they could help physically and legally fortify the southern border in anticipation of the arrival of large numbers of migrants Trump characterizes as a threat. “The administration is considering a wide range of administrative, legal and legislative options to address the Democrat-created crisis of mass illegal immigration,” said a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions. “No decisions have been made at this time,” the official said. “Nor will we forecast to smugglers or caravans what precise strategies will or will not be deployed.” Said another administration official, when asked about a possible ban on Central Americas, “Everything is on the table.” The additional troops would reinforce the 2,000 or so National Guard personnel deployed to the border since April. Under a Pentagon order that could be issued as soon as Friday, they would not make arrests or operate in an enforcement role, according to officials with knowledge of the plan. The migrant caravan remains more than 900 miles from U.S. territory and has dwindled by half to about 3,600 people, according to the latest estimates from Mexican authorities. But the scenes of young men breaking through gates along the Guatemala-Mexico border this month have alarmed the White House, and Trump continues to depict the Central American migrants as a criminal menace and a security threat. Impoverished families, many of whom are traveling with children and surviving on handouts, compose the bulk of those advancing slowly through southern Mexico. The Trump administration has provided no evidence that “Middle Easterners” and dangerous criminals are mixed in, as it claims. One potential problem with the border entry ban under consideration is that migrants who cross illegally would still have to be taken into U.S. custody. The administration could attempt to deny them access to U.S. courts and expedite their deportation, but those migrants would have to be returned to Central America, unless the Mexican government were to agree to take them. Any attempt to force Mexico to take the Central Americans back would risk “potentially major conflict” with its government, said one Department of Homeland Security official familiar with some of the policy proposals that have been under discussion. The United States has the legal authority to return them “since they let them through in the first place,” the person said. In recent weeks, record numbers of migrant family members have streamed across the border in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas and into southern Arizona, overwhelming detention capacity and prompting mass releases. White House officials have put escalating pressure on the Mexican government to stop the caravan, but officials there have declined to block its advance by force. In a Thursday morning tweet, Trump called again for changes to U.S. immigration laws, which he said “make it tough for us to stop people at the Border.” He added that he is “bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!” Later, the president tweeted: “To those in the Caravan, turnaround, we are not letting people into the United States illegally. Go back to your Country and if you want, apply for citizenship like millions of others are doing!” The caravan is still weeks from reaching the U.S. border, and Mexican authorities said the number of migrants has decreased rapidly, from an estimate of 7,200 by the United Nations early in the week to 3,630 on Wednesday. The Mexican government said it had processed 1,700 asylum claims. It is not clear what impact the additional military personnel would have, given that many of the migrants, if they reach the United States, would probably attempt to surrender to Border Patrol agents. U.S. officials said the troops would not conduct direct law enforcement but would instead play supporting roles. Those duties were still being defined but are likely to include engineers who can oversee construction and aviation support, and possibly doctors or lawyers who can assist migrants. Critics have said that a military solution would be costly and ineffective, and they accused Trump of trying to fan public fears over inflated security threats of the caravan to stoke his conservative base ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm election. The addition of active-duty forces could raise concerns among human rights groups, given that the caravan, which originated in Honduras, is made up largely of families, including children. U.S. officials said the additional U.S. forces are not expected to include any “trigger-pullers.” One U.S. official said the troops’ role will be designed so that the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that limits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement operations, is not violated. The official compared the deployment to active-duty troops assisting with hurricane relief. The National Guard personnel already at the border are under direct orders from their respective state governors and remain under those governors’ control. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis issued a memo this year that prohibited them from interacting directly with “migrants or other persons detained,” and that directive is still in place, said Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman. RJ Hauman, government relations director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for lower immigration levels, said Trump deserves credit for his administration’s efforts to crack down on unauthorized immigration. But he added that a military solution to the Central American caravan would be “ineffective” and said the administration should focus on trying to get Congress to tighten asylum laws. In most cases, children and families who apply for asylum are not legally allowed to be detained for more than a few weeks and are released into the United States as they await hearings before immigration judges — a process that could take more than a year because of backlogs. Trump administration officials said there has been a rapid increase in asylum cases, especially from Central America, in recent years, and they have accused human smugglers of coaching immigrants to make false claims of persecution. Immigrant rights groups said the migrants are fleeing gang violence, organized crime and poverty. “Sending the military down to the border will be ineffective in preventing these organized incursions so long as our asylum and immigration laws can be so easily abused,” Hauman said. Presidents George W. Bush and Obama both dispatched National Guard troops to assist in border operations. The missions — one from June 2006 to July 2008 and another from June 2010 to September 2011 — cost a total of $1.35 billion, according to a Government Accountability Office report. The report found that one of the primary benefits of the National Guard was to bridge gaps while new Border Patrol agents were hired and trained. But the report also found that Pentagon officials believed there was no comprehensive strategy at the border and worried about “mission creep” for Guard personnel. Homeland Security officials, meanwhile, expressed concern that the Pentagon assistance was “ad hoc.” Use of active-duty service members has been especially sensitive since 1997, when a Marine on a drug surveillance mission shot and killed a high school student in the border village of Redford, Texas. The shooter and other Marines present were investigated, but no charges were brought against them. The U.S. government ultimately agreed to pay a $1.9-million settlement to the student’s family. This year, the Pentagon has examined providing space to other federal agencies to run camps for migrants on specific military bases, and it said in a June memo to Congress that it would prepare to house up to 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children on bases in coming months. That plan would have similarities to 2014, when the Obama administration housed about 7,000 unaccompanied children on three military bases. But to date, the U.S. government has not moved forward with opening any camps on military bases. Business Politics the migrants were more than 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border They were traveling in groups, large and small a Pacific coastal town in the state of Chiapas The group was aiming to reach Arriaga The migrants may be headed to the border city of Tijuana which is more than 1,800 miles from Arriaga 12 with around 120 migrants gathered in San Pedro Sula near the Guatemala border. The migrants already have walked through Guatemala and are passing through southern Mexico They are still more than 1,000 miles – or about two weeks – from the United States.  How many people are in the caravan?The Mexican government estimates there are fewer than 4,000 migrants walking, while those assisting them say there are 10,000. Mexican authorities reported that 1,743 caravan migrants had applied for asylum or refugee status in their country while 196 are being offered aid after choosing to voluntarily return home.  Most of the migrants are fleeing Honduras. They described deteriorating conditions – economic political and crime-related – in their country under President Juan Orlando Hernandez who was re-elected in November in balloting many Hondurans believe was marred by fraud but supported by the United States During a similar caravan in the spring, most migrants who reached the U.S. border applied for asylum And 93 percent passed the first test on the path toward asylum demonstrating they had a "credible fear" of returning home.  7,000-strong migrant caravan treks through stifling heat in southern Mexico 1/35 Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. Mexico — A growing caravan of roughly 7,000 Central American immigrants continued its trek toward the United States on Sunday blowing past Mexican police and immigration officials set out before dawn on the only road out of the small Mexican border town of Ciudad Hidalgo It arrived in the afternoon in the city of Tapachula nearly all from the poor and violent nation of Honduras posed a growing political and humanitarian calamity for Mexico which has come under intense pressure from President Trump to stop them Mexican police used tear gas to block migrants from storming an official border crossing Mexico has appeared unwilling to use force to stop the thousands of people who have illegally crossed the Suchiate River from Guatemala into Mexico and started walking north That may be in part because the migrants include hundreds of women and small children It could also be because of the daunting size of the caravan As the caravan headed north Sunday in the 90-degree heat another group of roughly 1,500 migrants waited on the Guatemalan side of the river Authorities said more than 1,000 caravan members already have entered legally and applied for refugee status in Mexico and are being detained while their applications are processed The migrants left Honduras more than a week ago and began arriving several days ago at the Guatemalan border town of Tecun Uman Most say they intend to cross into the United States Some complain that they were unable to find work in Honduras Others say they are fleeing violence or political repression there and hope to apply for asylum in the U.S I’m only just realizing the massive scale of this caravan as they march north into Mexico. It’s several thousand people. Just look. pic.twitter.com/aRuoLNYTZg The caravan is more than two miles long It’s 23 miles to Tapachula and it’s so hot — 90 degrees — today her husband and their two children left their small town in Honduras about a month ago after a local gang started pressuring her 16-year-old son to sell drugs “They were going to kill him or kill us,” she said Andino said her family stayed with relatives in another town for a time before seeing the caravan on the news and deciding to join while she carried a bag containing the family’s possessions balanced on her head Trump has made the caravan a campaign issue at rallies across the country ahead of the U.S He has threatened Mexico and Central American countries with economic reprisal if they fail to stop the migrants and vowed to send the military to close the U.S has said repeatedly that no migrants will be allowed to enter the country in an “irregular” manner Mexico’s deterrence of those who tried to storm the official border crossing Friday drew praise from Trump But when droves of people began crossing the river Mexican police and immigration agents just watched 7,233 immigrants had been registered at a shelter in Ciudad Hidalgo The group formed an imposing bloc as it began to march Sunday Many Mexicans who live in the area lined the highway sandwiches and bottles of water while cheering the caravan on large groups of police officers clad in riot gear blocked the road but then retreated a small group of police watched as members of the caravan passed When a small group of immigration officials tried to stop the caravan to persuade its members to apply for political asylum One teenage girl stumbled into a car parked on the shoulder of the highway then rested her head for a brief moment on the trunk walked while hugging her 18-month-old son to her chest and she and her baby were both sweating heavily said she decided to leave Honduras after facing death threats from her abusive ex-husband She said she didn’t want her son to grow up without his mother “I have to do this for his future,” she said Each immigrant was driven by a different dream When Meijia came out as gay several years ago his family sent him to a psychologist and the local gang threatened to kill him saying they did not want people like him in their neighborhood “I want to go to a place where people respect me,” he said marching with a rainbow flag tied across his broad shoulders the dream was to return to the life he left behind Izaguirre was born in Honduras but later moved to Phoenix with his mother She cleaned houses while Izaguirre worked construction He earned enough to buy a small condominium and a silver Mazda Miata He said he was was deported about a month ago after a routine traffic stop revealed that a work permit he used to enter the country had expired Izaguirre had convinced several friends in Honduras to try to reach the United States with him again The group walked together Sunday at a quick pace dressed in a camouflage shirt from his days in ROTC at a Phoenix high school he started reciting the Pledge of Allegiance When a pickup truck pulled up next to the caravan and offered them a ride Izaguirre and his friends scrambled into the back Migrants arrived throughout the afternoon in Tapachula finding their way to a plaza in the city’s colonial-era center said the caravan plans to rest Monday before setting out again He laughed off claims made by some Republicans that the caravan is being organized by Democrats or political opponents of the right-wing president of Honduras “The only people who have helped us are the poor people of Guatemala and Mexico who have shared with us their beans and tortillas,” he said Times staff writer Patrick McDonnell in Mexico City contributed to this report Twitter: @katelinthicum 6:20 p.m.: This article was updated to include the new number of caravan members who have applied for refugee status in Mexico. 5:10 p.m.: This article was updated with political analysis and scenes from the caravan. 9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with the caravan passing police en route to the U.S. and with additional background. This article was originally published at 7:15 a.m. Nov 4 (Reuters) – Dozens of migrants traveling north to Mexico City clashed with the National Guard in the southern state of Chiapas on Thursday near to where a Cuban national was killed on Sunday by the militarized police force The group of mostly Central American women and children resumed their journey on Monday in the Pijijiapan municipality of Chiapas after fatigue and illnesses among some members prompted a two day break The officers tried to surround them with their shields,” Luis Garcia It’s not right that the authorities keep acting this way Despite all the repression we’re not going to stop,” Garcia said adding that authorities had escorted away migrants in at least four buses The National Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment Other videos shared with Reuters showed several migrants being detained by National Migration Institute agents The National Migration Institute also did not immediately respond to a request for comment About 3,000 people set off on foot last month from the Mexican city of Tapachula on the Guatemalan border. 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