Guatemala: the caravan of migrants from Honduras violently repressed

Migrants from Honduras have been violently repressed by security forces in Guatemala.

AFP - JOHAN ORDONEZ

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The caravan of migrants, which left Honduras on Friday for the United States, has been held back since Sunday, January 17 in Guatemala, where the authorities have set up roadblocks on the country's roads to contain its advance.

This Sunday, a group of several thousand people who tried to cross a military cordon was violently pushed back.

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From our regional correspondent

Emmanuelle Steels

Tear gas and batons.

The Guatemalan army charged against thousands of migrants on Sunday, as if to illustrate that countries in the region still endorse the restrictive migration policies imposed by Donald Trump.

Even if the latter's departure from the White House is imminent, both Guatemala and Mexico are erecting military and police walls to deter the caravan from passing.

Sanitary filters

In Guatemala, the authorities describe these filters as sanitary.

Due to the

Covid-19

pandemic

, no one can enter the country without testing negative.

After forcing the crossing at the Guatemalan border at the beginning of the weekend, the caravan, harassed by the security forces, weakens and disperses.

To date, 21 people in the group who have passed health checks are positive for the coronavirus and will need to be quarantined in Guatemala before returning to their country, said Julia Barrera, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.

Families

The trailer is mostly made up of families fleeing the rampant violence plaguing Honduras and hoping that Joe Biden's impending arrival as President of the United States may better their chances of entering that country.

About 9,000 Hondurans left their country last week to join this mass exodus.

But more than a thousand have already been sent home.

Those who have stayed the course are expected this week on the Mexican border by a double cordon formed by the National Guard and migration agents.

►Also read

: Honduras: the caravan of migrants, en route to the United States, enters Guatemala

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  • Guatemala

  • Honduras

  • International Migration

  • Refugees

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Honduras: migrant caravan on its way to the United States enters Guatemala