Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Trump warns Honduras to stop caravan of migrants or lose US aid.

S.A. Miller reports in the Washington Times,
President Trump on Tuesday said he warned Honduras to stop a caravan of more than 1,000 migrants headed for the United States or else lose American aid.

“The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S. is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!” Mr. Trumptweeted.

The caravan of at least 1,600 crossed Monday into Guatemala, chanting “yes we can” as they defied the Guatemalan governments orders to stop.

Mr. Trump made a similar threat in April when a caravan of more than 1,200 migrants left Honduras for the U.S. That time, the caravan dwindled as it approached the U.S. border, thanks in part to Mexico granting refugee status to some participants.

On Monday, about 250 police at the Guatemalan border stopped the caravan for about three hours Monday before relenting and allowing the migrants to pass.

The caravan began as about 160 people who first gathered early Friday to depart from San Pedro Sula, one of Honduras‘ most dangerous places, figuring that traveling as a group would make them less vulnerable to robbery, assault and other dangers common on the migratory path through Central America and Mexico.

Local media coverage prompted hundreds more to join, and Dunia Montoya, a volunteer assisting the migrants, estimated Sunday that the group had grown to at least 1,600 people. Police gave their own estimate of around 2,000 on Monday.

• This article is based in part on wire service reports.


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