About a hundred members of the “Devil’s Caravan” have entered Guatemala. They are having a devil of a time. Below is a report by France 24 for February 1, translated from Spanish into English.
My understanding of Spanish is not so good, so I cheat. I just translate it with a browser extension and then re-word it a bit here and there, using a dictionary if necessary, to make it more readable for your convenience and reading enjoyment.
Because they are going through Belize, I am thinking they may plan to try to pick up more fake refugees in that country, which does not have an agreement with Trump.
The second caravan of Honduran migrants entered Guatemala
After crossing the border point of entry at Agua Caliente, dozens of men, women and children are advancing on their route through Guatemalan territory in order to reach the United States and improve their living conditions.
They are not stopping. Honduran migrants participating in the second caravan of this type to leave from that Central American country, so far in 2020, are moving through Guatemala with the clear goal of reaching US territory.
This is more than a hundred men, women and children who, after crossing the border of Agua Caliente on February 1, are continuing on the route they started from the bus terminal of the second most important city in Honduras: San Pedro Sula
After the tour they undertook, which exceeded 300 kilometers, as declared by several of the migrants to the international news agency EFE, they arrived in Nueva Ocotepeque, a city where they spent Friday night receiving support at the Migrant Care Center.
Although some managed to comply with the presentation of the documents required to enter Guatemala in a legal manner, because many did not have their passports and ID cards, they crossed on trails without being observed.
As a result of arguments between several of the caravan leaders, the group that was mobilized from San Pedro Sula was divided into different groups. Gerardo Muñoz, one of the young men who headed the caravan’s departure, said that – for now – they are moving forward.
The drama of those who do not have documents
Those who do not have their valid passport risk crossing via an isolated area with the danger of being intercepted by criminal groups and exposed to the difficulties of the rough, rural landscape. In this type of case, those who manage to get across well and enter Guatemala without being arrested are also betting on crossing from there to Belize.
One of these stories was told to EFE by a Honduran who left her country with the caravan on January 15 and who, upon returning to her hometown, was required by the national immigration authorities, who demanded payment of a fine for the infraction she committed in crossing.
‘I have no choice, I have to go through a blind spot, I have my Honduran passport, but I cannot legally leave my country,’ said the migrant who refused to share her name for security reasons.
This is the sixth caravan organized since October 13, 2018, the year in which about 5,000 Central American migrants left their countries with the aim of fleeing the violence and poverty that afflicts the region.
With EFE and local media