A caravan of around 3,000 migrants left southern Mexico on Tuesday, heading for the United States, the day American voters had to choose between American presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Immigration was a key issue in the American election campaign.
Before heading north, migrants gathered in Tapachula, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas, holding banners with messages such as “NO MORE BLOOD OF MIGRANTS” and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, an important religious and cultural symbol in Mexico, according to Reuters. witnesses.
“We want the American authorities to see us, to see that we are people who want to work and not harm anyone,” said Honduran migrant Roy Murillo, who joined the caravan with his two children and his wife. pregnant woman.
In recent years, several caravans carrying people hoping to enter the United States have attempted to reach the U.S.-Mexico border, traveling in massive groups for security reasons. Most dispersed along the way.
“I’m afraid to travel alone with my family. Here the cartels kidnap you or kill you… That’s why we come in caravans,” Murillo said.
Murillo recounted his failed attempts to secure an asylum appointment through a mobile app developed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
Tapachula, a mandatory crossing point for tens of thousands of migrants, has become one of Mexico’s most violent cities in recent months, with migrants frequently being targeted by organized crime, according to official data.
“I feel suffocated here. That’s why we decided to leave,” said Thais, a 28-year-old Venezuelan migrant, who spoke on condition that her last name not be used for security reasons. .
She joined the caravan with her husband and her 3-year-old daughter.
“I would like Mr. Trump and Ms. Kamala to see that we are human beings, that we want to live and provide for our families,” she added.
Voters cast their ballots Tuesday in the race between Vice President Harris, a Democrat seeking to become the first female president of the United States, and Trump, a hardline Republican on immigration who aims to win back the presidency .
