Hondurans and Nicaraguans agreed that they found out about the departure of the migrant caravan through social networks.
The first caravan of Honduran immigrants, accompanied by Nicaraguans, of 2022, left this Saturday from San Pedro Sula, in northern Honduras, to the United States, in search of a job to help their families.
“We are leaving due to lack of employment, we are going to look for a better future,” said Miguel Domínguez, a commercial expert, originally from Taulabé, department of Comayagua, in the central region of Honduras.
Embraced with the flag of his country, in blue and white, Miguel was one of the Hondurans who today encouraged some 300 immigrants from the first group that left the Metropolitan Central Intercity bus service in San Pedro Sula.
Confused, the Honduran and Nicaraguan immigrants, due to the lack of a guide to guide them out in order in the caravan, the first group left on foot between 03:30 and 04:00 local time (09:30 and 10:00 GMT), from the Metropolitan Central, on whose sidewalks and green areas they slept last night, with a clear sky, and with the moon, as a roof.
The second group, of no less than 400, left a few hours later, heading for Corinto, a customs point on the common border between Honduras and Guatemala, close to the Caribbean.
Nicaraguans in the caravan
Many women with young children go in the caravan, some in groups of family or friends, from various regions of the Central American country.
Also in the caravan are many Nicaraguans who, for the most part, at least of those who spoke with Efe, preferred not to identify themselves by name, “for fear of reprisals” and “for fear of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario” ( Murillo, his wife).
Until 03:00 local time, many of the immigrants were confused because some said they were leaving “at dawn” and others “at 10 in the morning.”
Those consulted by Efe, Hondurans and Nicaraguans, agreed that they found out about the caravan’s departure through social networks.
Among the confusion for not knowing the exact time of departure, from a group of about twelve people, including women and children, two men stood up to shout repeatedly: “It’s time to leave, get up, we can’t wait until 10 am”.
“Let’s go now, we’re taking children, the 10 o’clock sun will be very strong and we won’t make much headway,” shouted a woman on the other end, holding the hand of her seven-year-old son.
Some 50 meters further on, a supposed evangelical pastor, supported by a megaphone, called “everyone to gather together to pray.” “So that we do well on the road and that God takes care of us,” he added.
After the prayer, he asked: “Who wants to leave right now and who wants to leave at 10 o’clock?”
Most raised their hands to say “we’re leaving right now”, around 03:30 and left on foot for Corinto, more than 100 kilometers from San Pedro Sula.
In the case of Honduran immigrants, thousands have gone in caravans, since the first, in October 2018, through the Agua Caliente border point, in the west of their country, and through Corinto.
Castro and Kamala Harris will talk about migration
However, thousands of others, on average between 300 and 700, do so daily, alone or in small groups, according to sources from humanitarian organizations that help immigrants.
Criminal violence and lack of job opportunities are the main reasons given by Honduran immigrants for leaving their country of 9.5 million inhabitants, of which 70 percent are poor, say humanitarian entities and analysts.
The first Honduran immigrants to leave in 2022 did so nine days before Xiomara Castro, winner of the general elections on November 28, 2021, assumed the Presidency of their country.
The immigrants do not know if they will be able to cross into Guatemala today to continue with their caravan.
Castro, leader of the Libertad y Refundación Party (Libre, left) and wife of former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was overthrown on June 28, 2009, has promised to improve the living conditions of his compatriots so that they do not continue to leave their country in search of opportunities in Mexico and the United States.
The migration issue will be addressed by Castro and the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, who will be present on January 27 at the inauguration of the new president of Honduras.
Source: forbes.com.mx
