Last weekend, Guatemalan Security Forces had to use sticks and tear gas to repel a large migrant caravan of Central Americans who were trying to reach the United States.
Thousands of migrants, including families with young children, had reportedly entered Guatemala since last Friday. Press reports say that they were mostly Honduran asylum seekers who were fleeing poverty and violence in Central America that has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also fleeing the aftermath of the devastating Hurricanes Eta and Iota which tore through Central America mere weeks before the end of last hurricane season.
These migrants reportedly left on foot last Thursday from San Pedro Sula. Several thousand migrants made it all the way to the Guatemalan Village of Vado Hondo, which is about 35 miles away from the borders of Honduras and El Salvador, and about 155 miles from Jalacte, in the Toledo District.
That's where they were met with strong resistance from a large number of Guatemalan security officers. Video footage captured of the scuffles between the two sides shows the migrants trying to brute force their way past Guatemalan soldiers and police officers who were armed with teargas, riot shields, and sticks.
After scuffles with the security forces, 21 of those migrants sought medical attention at nearby health centers, and they tested positive for COVID-19. The Guatemalan authorities said that on Sunday they deported nearly a thousand members of the caravan. Buses and trucks were made available for those who wanted to voluntarily return home.
And tonight we can report that the majority of this caravan has dissipated with 2,300 of the migrants choosing to return to their home towns on the buses. Others have been deterred by a series of strategically placed roadblocks where forces deployed tear gas and used batons to dissolve the mass of people.
We reached out to Belize's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eamon Courtenay for comment, and he told us to quote: "The caravan is being monitored closely by Belizean authorities. We are in contact with the relevant counterparts for intelligence purposes."
The travelers were hoping for a more welcoming reception from the US President-Elect, Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated tomorrow. But Biden has gone on record to publicly urge them to turn back.
